V| 


GRACE 


BY 

LEWIS  SPERRY  CHAFER 

Author  of  "HE  THAT  Is  SPIRITUAL,"  "SALVATION," 

EVANGELISM,  oa  SOUL-WINNING  BY  PRAYEB," 
"THE    KINGDOM    IN    HISTORY    AND 
PROPHECY,"   Etc. 


PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 

THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  TIMES  COMPANY 

1922 


Copyright,   1922, 
By  LEWIS  SPERRY  CHAFER 


THIS  BOOK  IS 
AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED  TO  THE  LATB 

CYRUS  INGERSON  SCOFIELD,  D.D., 

FOR  MANY  YEARS  MY 

FRIEND,  COUNSELOR,  TEACHER, 

WHO  IN  HIS  GENERATION  EXCELLED  AS 

CHAMPION  AND  EXPONENT  OF  GRACE 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

THROUGH  false  emphasis  by  many  religious 
leaders,  Christianity  has  become  in  the  esti- 
mation of  a  large  part  of  the  public  no  more  than  an 
ethical  system.  The  revealed  fact,  however,  is  that 
the  supreme  feature  of  the  Christian  faith  is  that 
supernatural,  saving,  transforming  work  of  God, 
which  is  made  possible  through  the  infinite  sacrifice 
of  Christ  and  which,  in  sovereign  grace,  is  freely  be- 
stowed on  all  who  believe.  God  has  given  instruc- 
tion to  those  who  are  saved,  it  is  true,  as  to  the 
manner  of  life  which  is  consistent  with  their  new 
heavenly  calling  and  standing  in  Christ;  but  in  its 
spiritual  blindness,  the  world,  led  by  its  blind  leaders, 
sees  in  Christianity  only  the  rule  of  life  which  is 
secondary.  The  blindness  of  the  world  at  this  point, 
with  the  consequent  neglect  of  all  that  is  vital  in  the 
Christian  faith,  is  both  anticipated  and  explained  in 
the  Word  of  God. 

The  two  foundation  truths  which  determine  all 
spiritual  perception  are  that,  by  divine  arrangement, 
(1)  the  Spirit  is  given  only  to  those  who  are  saved, 
and  (2)  spiritual  understanding  is  made  to  depend 
exclusively  on  the  presence  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in 
the  heart. 

The  precise  body  of  truth  which  may  be  under- 
stood only  through  the  ministry  of  the  indwelling 
Spirit  is  described  as,  "things"  related  to  the  Fa- 

vii 


viii  Author's  Preface 

ther,  ''things"  related  to  the  Son,  "things"  related 
to  the  Spirit,  "things"  to  come,  and  "the  kingdom  of 
God."  We  read: 

"But  the  natural  man  reeeiveth  not  the  things  of 
the  Spirit  of  God:  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him: 
neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are 
spiritually  [by  the  Spirit]  discerned"  (1  Cor.  2:14). 

"Except  a  mai*  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the 
kingdom  of  God"  (John  3:3). 

' '  Even  the  Spirit  of  truth ;  whom  the  world  cannot 
receive,  because  it  seeth  him  not,  neither  knoweth 
him"  (John  14:17). 

"But  if  our  gospel  be  hid,  it  is  hid  to  them  that 
are  lost :  in  whom  the  god  of  this  world  hath  blinded 
the  minds  of  them  which  believe  not,  lest  the  light  of 
the  glorious  gospel  of  Christ  .  .  .  should  shine  unto 
them"  (2  Cor.  4:3,  4). 

"The  world  by  wisdom  knew  not  God"  (1  Cor. 
1:21). 

"He  that  is  spiritual  judgeth  [discerneth]  all 
things,  yet  he  himself  is  judged  of  no  man" 
(1  Cor.  2:15). 

"Now  we  have  received  .  .  .  the  spirit  which  is  of 
God;  that  we  might  know  the  things  that  are  freely 
given  to  us  of  God"  (1  Cor.  2: 12). 

"Howbeit  when  he,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  he 
will  guide  you  into  all  truth :  for  he  shall  not  speak 
of  himself;  but  whatsoever  he  shall  hear,  that  shall 
he  speak :  and  he  will  shew  you  things  to  come.  He 
shall  glorify  me:  for  he  shall  receive  of  mine,  and 
shall  shew  it  unto  you.  All  things  that  the  Father 
hath  are  mine:  therefore  said  I,  that  he  shall  take  of 
mine,  and  shall  shew  it  unto  you"  (John  16: 13-15). 


Author's  Preface  ix 

"But  the  anointing  which  ye  have  received  of  him 
abideth  in  you,  and  ye  need  not  that  any  man  teach 
you:  but  as  the  same  anointing  teacheth  you  of  all 
things,  and  is  truth,  and  is  no  lie,  and  even  as  it  hath 
taught  you,  ye  shall  abide  in  him"  (  1  John  2 :  27). 

"Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  have 
entered  into  the  heart  of  man,  the  things  which  God 
hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  him.  But  God 
hath  revealed  them  unto  us  by  his  Spirit:  for  the 
Spirit  searcheth  all  things,  yea,  the  deep  things  of 
God"  (I  Cor.  2:9,  10). 

"Through  faith  we  understand"  (Heb.  11:3). 

Spiritual  understanding  is  not,  therefore,  de- 
pendent upon  human  sagacity  or  learning ;  it  depends 
only  on  the  teaching  of  the  indwelling  Spirit.  Pos- 
sessing this  Biblical  testimony,  misunderstanding  at 
this  point  is  without  excuse. 

Likewise,  the  terms  upon  which  men  may  now  be 
saved  and  thus  receive  the  Spirit  are  as  clearly  de- 
fined in  the  Scripture.  Salvation  is  by  grace 
through  faith.  It  is  the  result  of  the  transforming 
work  of  God  for  man,  and  not  the  result  of  the  work 
of  man  for  God.  It  is  that  which  God  does  for  the 
one  who  trusts  the  Saviourhood  of  Christ.  By  that 
trust,  Christ  is  personally  received  as  the  divine 
Redeemer  who  shed  His  blood  as  a  sufficient  ransom 
for  the  guilt  and  penalty  of  sin,  as  the  One  who 
reconciles  by  having  taken  away  the  sin  of  the  world, 
and  as  the  divine  Propitiation  who,  as  Substitute, 
met  every  indictment  brought  against  the  sinner 
under  the  holy  government  of  God. 

Since  the  Spirit  is  given  only  to  those  who  are 
saved  through  faith  in  Christ,  they  alone  are  able  to 


x  Author's  Preface 

receive  the  particular  body  of  truth  which  the  Spirit 
teaches.  Neglect  of  this  fundamental,  unalterable 
fact  is  the  key-error  of  all  modernism. 

It  is  assumed  by  the  modernist  that  any  person 
whose  education  has  qualified  him  to  be  an  authority 
in  matters  of  human  learning,  regardless  of  the  new 
birth  and  the  indwelling  Spirit,  is  also  qualified,  be- 
cause of  that  learning,  to  speak  with  authority  con- 
cerning the  things  of  God. 

That  the  leaders  of  modernism  are  unregenerate 
men  and  therefore  themselves  spiritually  blind  is 
self-revealed  by  their  attitude  toward  that  truth 
which  forms  the  only  basis  upon  which,  according  to 
the  Scriptures,  a  soul  may  be  saved.  When  men 
avowedly  disbelieve  that  the  death  of  Christ  was 
vicarious  and  substitutionary,  they  have  rejected  the 
only  grounds  upon  which,  according  to  the  Word  of 
God,  the  saving  work  of  God  righteously  can  be 
wrought  for  the  sinner.  Rejecting  the  saving  truth 
of  the  Gospel,  these  men  could  not  be  saved  upon  any 
promise  or  provision  of  God.  Though  educated, 
religious,  and  sympathetic  to  the  ethical  ideals  of  the 
Bible,  such  men,  being  unregenerate,  are  of  necessity 
totally  blind  to  all  that  body  of  truth  which  is  said 
to  be  imparted  by  the  indwelling  Spirit.  Preaching 
and  teaching  under  these  limitations,  Christianity  is 
represented  by  these  men  as  a  system  of  ethics  only. 

The  first  step  in  spiritual  understanding  is  the 
knowledge  of  God  as  Father.  "Neither  knoweth 
any  man  the  Father,  save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom- 
soever the  Son  will  reveal  him"  (Mt.  11 :  27) .  "And 
this  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thee  the 


Author's  Preface  xi 

only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou  hast 
sent"  (John  17:3). 

Until  God  becomes  real  to  the  heart  by  the  direct 
ministry  of  Christ  as  Saviour,  all  His  ways  and 
works  are  unreal.  Not  knowing  God,  the  unregen- 
erate  mind  is  not  satisfied  with  the  explanation  of 
the  origin  of  things  which  declares  that  God  directly 
created  things  as  they  are.  To  such  a  mind,  it  is 
actually  easier  to  believe  in  a  supposed  natural  de- 
velopment from  nothing  to  something,  and  to  hide  all 
attending  problems  resulting  from  this  theory  behind 
the  mists  of  a  measureless  past.  If  God  is  not  real, 
there  could  be  no  inerrant  Book;  the  Bible  must  be 
fallible  as  man;  nor  could  God  be  manifest  in  the 
flesh ;  the  Son  of  God  must  be  of  illegitimate  birth,  and 
though  the  greatest  of  all  teachers,  to  them,  He  is 
really  no  more  divine  than  ordinary  mortals.  These 
blind  guides  are  forced  to  give  some  explanation  to 
the  meaning  of  the  death  of  Christ.  They  there- 
fore contend  that  He  died  as  an  heroic  martyr,  a 
loyal  patriot,  as  a  wonderful  moral  example  of  for- 
titude, or  to  show  the  wickedness  of  sin.  They 
utterly  reject  the  only  reason  given  in  the  Word  of 
God  for  the  death  of  Christ — He  died  that  others 
might  not  die.  They  brand  this  saving  truth  as 
"immoral,"  and  "unworthy  of  the  goodness  of  God." 
They  understand  little  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ, 
His  present  ministry  in  heaven,  and  nothing  of  the 
revelation  that  He  is  coming  again.  To  these 
religious  leaders,  there  is  no  supernatural;  for  God 
is  not  real.  There  could  be  no  immediate  salvation 
through  the  Spirit.  The  salvation  in  which  they  be- 


xii  Author's  Preface 

lieve  is  assumed  to  be  the  result  of  a  self-created 
character,  and  the  life  to  be  lived  is  represented  only 
as  an  heroic  struggle  of  the  flesh.  If  unregenerate 
men  could  understand  anything  better  than  this,  the 
"Word  of  God  would  be  proven  untrue. 

It  is  equally  true,  that,  those  who  are  spiritually 
blind  are  unconscious  of  their  blindness  until  they  are 
saved  by  the  grace  and  power  of  God  through 
Christ.  Coming  thus  into  the  light,  they  testify,  as 
all  who  have  ever  been  saved  have  testified :  '  '  Where- 
as I  was  blind,  now  I  see."  They,  like  all  the  un- 
saved, could  be  aware  of  their  blindness  if  they  would 
receive  the  testimony  of  God  concerning  their  own 
limitations;  but  this  is  precisely  what  they  will  not 
do.  Therefore,  a  notable  neglect  of  the  most  vital 
truths  of  Scripture  and  the  denial  of  the  essential 
glories  of  divine  grace  is  to  be  expected  from  these 
religious  leaders  who  reject  the  only  grounds  of 
salvation  through  the  substitionary  death  of  Christ. 

Modernists  content  themselves  with  borrowing 
some  ideals  from  the  Bible  while  reserving  the  right 
to  reject  whatever  is  not  desired.  Those  portions 
which  are  acceptable  to  the  unregenerate  mind  are 
received  and  taught  as  being  authorative  on  the  basis 
of  the  fact  that  these  ideals  are  in  the  Bible.  Here, 
indeed,  is  strange  inconsistency  on  the  part  of  men 
who  pride  themselves  on  their  scientific  reasonings. 

The  unsaved  preacher  or  teacher,  being  able  to 
comprehend  only  the  ethical  teachings  of  the 
Scriptures,  is  a  living  proof  of  the  truthfulness  of  the 
divine  Testimony.  He  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of 
God.  He  sees  nothing  of  the  glories  of  divine  grace 
— the  things  of  the  Father,  the  things  of  Christ,  the 


Author's  Preface  xiii 

things  of  the  Spirit,  and  things  to  come.  He  blindly 
ignores  every  dispensational  division  of  the  Word  of 
God  and  is,  therefore,  free  within  himself  to  draw 
material  from  the  kingdom  teachings  of  Christ  and 
from  the  law  of  Moses  while  constructing  his  world- 
improvement,  sociological  theories  which  he  imposes 
on  a  Christ-rejecting  world. 

Men  of  this  character  are  sufficiently  numerous  in 
this  day  of  apostacy  to  be  responsible  for  the  present- 
day  impression  that  the  sole  objective  of  Christianity 
is  the  improvement  of  human  conduct.  Being  blind 
to  the  real  principles  and  purposes  of  saving  grace, 
they  teach  that  it  makes  little  difference  what  is  be- 
lieved, it  is  the  life  that  counts.  Against  this  is  the 
overwhelming  testimony  of  the  "Word  of  God  that 
every  aspect  of  salvation  and  every  blessing  of  divine 
grace  in  time  and  eternity  is  conditioned  only  on 
what  is. believed. 

Influenced  by  these  misunderstandings  concerning 
the  Truth,  few  serious-minded  young  men  will 
choose  to  enter  the  ministerial  profession ;  for  it 
would  mean  the  assumption  of  the  role  of  a  mere 
moralist.  Common  modesty  generally  precludes 
such  an  assumption.  On  the  other  hand,  when  the 
essential  message  of  Christianity  is  seen  to  be  the 
measureless,  transforming  grace  of  God  with  all  of  its 
eternal  glories  in  the  new  creation  in  Christ,  it  is  a 
challenge  to  the  deepest  impulses  of  the  heart,  and 
offers  a  ministry  for  which  one  may  well  sacrifice  all. 

Christians  are  ambassadors  for  Christ  and  are  com- 
missioned to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature. 
This  ministry  does  not  consist  in  either  the  education 
or  the  moral  improvement  of  lost  men  while  they  are 


xiv  Author's  Preface 

on  their  way  to  hell;  it  is  the  proclamation  of  the 
mighty,  redeeming,  transforming  grace  of  God  which 
offers  eternal  life  and  eternal  glory  to  all  who  will 
believe. 

If  it  shall  please  God  to  use  this  exposition  in  any 
measure  to  the  unfolding  of  the  riches  of  His  grace, 
the  labor  expended  in  its  preparation  will  not  have 
been  in  vain.  This  very  inadequate  treatment  con- 
cerning the  grace  of  God  is  committed  to  Him  that 
He  may  in  some  way  use  its  message  to  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

LEWIS  SPEREY  CHAFER. 
March,  1922. 


CONTENTS 

SYNOPSIS 

PAOl 

CHAPTER  ONE.     THE   THEME 3 

SEVEN  FUNDAMENTAL  FACTS  ABOUT  GRACE   ....       4 

First,        Grace  is  not  Withheld  Because  of  Demerit  .       4 
Second,     Grace   Cannot   be  Lessened  Because  of  De- 
merit        5 

Third,       Grace  Cannot  Incur  a  Debt 6 

Fourth,     Grace  is  not  Exercised  in  the  Just  Payment 

of  a   Debt 8 

Fifth,        Grace  is  Never  the  Over-Payment  of  a  Debt     10 
Sixth,       Grace  does  not  Appear  in  the  Immediate  Di- 
vine  Dealings  with   the  Sins   of   the   Un- 
saved        12 

Seventh,  Grace  does  not  Appear  in  the  Immediate  Di- 
vine Dealings  with  the  Sins  of  the  Saved     16 

CHAPTER  TWO.  SALVATION  BY  GRACE  ....  23 

I.  THREE  DIVINE  MOTIVES  IN  GRACE 23 

First,       Men   are    Said    to    be   Saved    that    Good 

Works  may  Result 23 

1.  Works  as  required  under  the  law       ...      25 

2.  Works  as  the  proper  test  of  saving  faith  .     26 

3.  Works  as  indicative  of  the  attitude  of  heart 

toward    the  grace    of    God 26 

Second,  Men  are  Said  to  be  Saved  Because  of  the 

Benefits  which  accrue  to  Them  .      .      .27 
Third.      Men  are  Said  to  be  Saved  for  the  Mani- 
festation of  Divine  Grace       ....     28 

II.  THREE  PRINCIPLES  WHICH  CANNOT  CO-EXIST  WITH 

GRACE 37 

First,      Any  Recognition  of  Human  Guilt     .      .  37 

Second,  Any  Recognition  of  Human  Obligation   .  38 

Third,     Any  Recognition  of  Human  Merit   .      .  39 

XV 


xvi  Contents 

PAOffl 

III.  THE  GRACIOUS  WORK  OF  GOD  FOR  MAN  ....  46 

First,       The  Finished  Work  of  Christ      ...  47 

Second,    The  Convicting  Work  of  the  Spirit  .      .  47 

Third,      The  Saving  Work  of  God 47 

Fourth,    The  Keeping  Work  of  God     ....  47 

Fifth,       The  Delivering   Work  of   God      ...  48 

Sixth,       The  Work  of  God  in  Christian  Growth  48 

Seventh,  The  Final  Presenting  Work  of  God  .      .  49 

IV.  THE  GRACE  OF  GOD  is  SOVEREIGN 51 

CHAPTER  THREE.     SAFE-KEEPING  IN  GRACE   .      .  55 

I.  THE  KEEPING  POWER  OF  GOD  THROUGH  GRACE  is  IN- 

CLUDED IN  EVERY  CONSIDERATION  OF  THE  PRINCI- 
PLES OF  GRACE 58 

First,  There  Must  be  the  Disposal  of  Every  Con- 
demnation which  Divine  Righteousness  Could  Im- 
pose Because  of  Sin 59 

Second,  There  Must  be  a  Disposal  of  Every  Human 

Obligation 62 

Third,  There  Must  be  a  Disposal  of  Every  Human 

Merit 63 

II.  THE  KEEPING  POWER  OF  GOD  THROUGH  GRACE  is 

IMPLIED  IN  EVERY  REVELATION  WHEREIN  is  PRE- 
SENTED THE  TRUTH  THAT  GRACE  REACHES  INTO 

THE  COMING  AGES  FOR  ITS  CONSUMMATION   .     .  64 

III.  THE  KEEPING  POWER  OF  GOD  THROUGH  GRACE  is 

INDICATED    BY    THE    MANIFOLD    PROVISIONS    AND 

SAFEGUARDS  WHICH  HE  HAS  MADE  TO  THAT  END  66 

First,  The  Power  of  God 66 

Second,  The  Love  of  God 67 

Third,  The  Prayer  of  the  Son  of  God  ....  68 
Fourth,  The  Substitutionary  Death  of  the  Son  of 

God 69 

Fifth,  The  Resurrection  of  the  Son  of  God  .  70 

Sixth,  The  Present  Advocacy  of  the  Son  of  God  70 
Seventh,  The  Intercession,  or  Shepherdhood,  of  the 

Son  of  God 71 

Eighth,      The  Regenerating  Work  of  the  Spirit     .  72 
Ninth,       The  Spirit's  Indwelling   .      .      .      .      .      .73 

Tenth,        The  Baptism  with  the  Spirit   ....  74 

Eleventh,  The  Sealing  with  the  Spirit     ....  75 

Twelfth,  The  New  Covenant  Made  in  His  Blood  .  78 


Contents  xvii 

PACOI 
CHAPTER  FOUR.     THE  LIFE  UNDER  GRACE  ...     80 

INTRODUCTIVE 86 

SECTION  ONE.     GRACE   PROVIDES   A   PARTICULAR 

RULE  OF  LIFE 83 

I.  THE  CHRISTIAN'S  DAILY  LIFE  is  TO  BE  DIBECTED 

ONLY  BY  THE  TEACHINGS  OF  GRACE  ....     88 

II.  THE  LAW  is  EXCLUDED  FROM  THE  GRACE  TEACH- 

INGS OF  CHRIST 91 

III.  THE  LAW  is  EXCLUDED  FROM  THE  TEACHINGS  OF 

THE  APOSTLES 96 

IV.  THE   PERSONAL   EXPERIENCE   OF   THE   APOSTLE 

PAUL  is  AN  ILLUSTRATION  OF  THE  TEACHINGS 

OF  GRACE 97 

First,     "And  unto  the  Jews  I  Became  as  a  Jew"  .     98 
Second,  "To   Them    that   are    Under   the   Law,    as 

Under  the  Law" 99 

Third,     "To  Them  that  are  Without  Law,  as  With- 
out Law" 100 

Fourth,  "Not  Being  Without  Law  to  God,  but  Un- 
der the  Law  to  Christ" 100 

SUCTION  Two.     THE  TEACHINGS  OF  THE  LAW  .     .  102 

I.    As  TO  THE  MEANING  OF  THE  WORD  LAW  AS  USED 

IN  THE  SCRIPTURES '  .     .     .     .   102 

First,       The  Ten  Commandments 103 

Second,    The  Whole  System  of  Government  for  Is- 
rael  in  the   Land 104 

Third,      The  Kingdom  Rule  of  Messiah  ....    105 
Fourth,    The  Whole  Revealed  Will  of  God  for  any 
Individual,  or  Nation,  when  Contempla- 
ted as  a  Covenant  of  Works  which  is  to 
be  Wrought  in  the  Energy  of  the  Flesh  106 
Fifth,       Any  Rule  of  Conduct  Prescribed  by  Men  .   108 
Sixth,       Any  Recognized  Principle  in  Operation   .    109 
Seventh,  The  Necessary  Sequence  Between  a  Cause 

and  its  Effect 109 

H.    As  TO  THE  RELATION  THE  LAW  SUSTAINS  TO  THE 

TIME  OF  ITS  REIGN 110 

First,      The  Law  Began  its  Reign  at  Mount  Sinai  114 
Second,  The  Reign  of  the  Law  was  Terminated  with 
the  Death  of 'Christ 118 


xviii  Contents 

PAGE 

III.    As  TO  THE  APPLICATION  OF  THE  LAW      .     .     .119 
SECTION  THREE.     THE  KINGDOM  TEACHINGS    .     .   122 

SECTION  FOUR.     CONTRASTS  BETWEEN  LAW  AND 

GRACE   TEACHINGS 143 

I.  THEY    PRESENT    INDEPENDENT,    SUFFICIENT,    AND 

COMPLETE  SYSTEMS  OF  DIVINE  RULE  IN  THE 
EARTH 145 

First,  The  Similarity  and  Dissimilarity  Between 
the  Teachings  of  the  Law  of  Moses  and 
the  Teachings  of  Grace 152 

Second,  The  Similarity  and  Dissimilarity  Between 
the  Teachings  of  the  Law  of  Moses  and 
the  Teachings  of  the  Kingdom  ....  157 

Third,  The  Similarity  and  Dissimilarity  Between 
the  Teachings  of  Qrace  and  the  Laws  of 
the  Kingdom 161 

1.  The  Beatitudes 165 

2.  The  similitudes  of  the  righteous  in  the  king- 

dom     170 

3.  Christ  interprets  the  law  in  its  relation  to 

the  kingdom 171 

4.  Mere  externalism  rebuked 173 

5.  Prayer  for  the  kingdom,  and  in  the  kingdom  174 

6.  The  law  governing  riches  in  the  kingdom  .    176 

7.  The  Father's  care  over  the  children  of  the 

kingdom 176 

8.  Warning  against  judgment  of  others     .      .177 

9.  Warning  against  false  prophets   .      .      .      .177 
10.     Three  determining  statements  concerning  the 

kingdom 178 

II.  THE  ORDER  VARIES  AS  TO  THE  SEQUENCE  OF  THE 

DIVINE  BLESSINGS  AND  THE  HUMAN  OBLIGATION  182 

III.  BECAUSE  OF  DIFFERENT  DEGREES  OF  DIFFICULTY 

AND  DIFFERENT  DEGREES  OF  DIVINE  ENABLE- 

MENT 194 

First,      The  Law   of   Moses 195 

Second,  The  Laics  of  the  Kingdom 196 

Third,     The  Teachings  of  Grace 199 

SECTION  FIVE.     THE  LAW  DONE  AWAY   .     .     .     .215 
I.    THE   ACTUAL   WRITTEN   INSTRUCTIONS   OF   BOTH 
THE  TEACHINGS  OF  THE  LAW  OF  MOSES  AND  THE 
KINGDOM  ARE  DONE  AWAY      .     .     .     .  .216 


Contents  xix 

PAG« 

First,  The  Passing  of  the  Law  of  Moses  is  the 
Explicit  Teaching  of  the  New  Testament 
Scriptures 216 

Second,  The  Error  of  Co-mingling  the  La,w  of  the 

Kingdom  with  the  Teachings  of  Grace  .  231 

1.  The  two  systems  cannot  co-exist   ....   232 

2.  It  is  not  necessary  to  combine  them   .      .      .  233 

II.  THE  LAW  COVENANT  OF  WOEKS,  IN  ALL  OF  ITS 

APPLICATION,  WHICH  CONDITIONS  BLESSING 
AND  ACCEPTANCE  WITH  GOD  ON  PERSONAL 
MERIT,  is  DONE  AWAY 235 

III.  THE  LAW  PRINCIPLE  OF  DEPENDENCE  ON  THE 

ENERGY  OF  THE  FLESH,  IN  PLACE  OF  THE 
GRACE  PRINCIPLE  OF  DEPENDENCE  ON  THE 
POWER  OF  THE  INDWELLING  SPIRIT,  is  DONE 
AWAY 237 

IV.  JUDAISM  is  DONE  AWAY 238 

SECTION  Six.     THE  SABBATH,  A  TEST  QUESTION  .  244 

I.    THE  BIBLICAL  TESTIMONY  REGARDING  THE  JEWISH 

SABBATH 247 

First,      The  Period  from  Adam  to  Moses     .      .      .  247 

Second,  The  Period  from  Moses  to  Christ     .      .      .  250 

Third,     The  Period  Represented  by  the  Gospels   .  254 
Fourth,  The  Period  Represented   by  the  Acts  and 

the  Epistles 256 

Fifth,      The  Sabbath  in  Prophecy 262 

1.  The  cessation  of  the  sabbath 262 

2.  The  reestablishment  of  the  sabbath   .      .      .  263 
Sixth.      The  Exact   Day 264 

II.    THE  BIBLICAL  TESTIMONY  CONCERNING  THE  LORD'S 

DAY 265 

First,      The  Reason  for  the  Observance  of  the  Day  266 

1.  The  Mosaic  system  has  ceased 266 

2.  A  new  day  is  divinely  appointed  under  grace  269 

3.  A  new  day  is  indicated  by  important  events  .   272 

4.  The  new  day  typifies  the  new  creation   .      .   276 

5.  The  new  day  is  typical  of  unmerited  grace     .   276 

6.  The  new  day  began  to  be  observed  with  the 

resurrection 277 

a.  Evidence  from  the  Scriptures     ....   278 

b.  Evidence  from  the  early  fathers      .      .      .   278 

7.  The  new  day  has  been  blessed  of  God  .      .      .281 


xx  Contents 

PAGH 

Second,  The  Biblical  Observance  of  the  Lord's  Day  282 

1.  The  Lord's  day  belongs  to  a  particular  people  283 

2.  The  Lord's  Day  is  not  subject  to  rules   .      .   286 

3.  The  manner  of  the  observance  of  the  Lord's 

Day  may  be  extended  to  all  days    .      .   292 

a.  The  true  sabbath  under  grace    ....   294 

b.  The   millennial   sabbath 297 

III.     CEBTAIX  CURRENT  ERRORS 297 

SECTION  SEVEN.     CHRIST,  THE  BELIEVER'S  SPHERE 

IN   GRACE 301 

I.     "¥E  IN  ME" 306 

First,      Christ,  the  Sphere  of  the  Believer's  Posi- 
tions     307 

Second,  Christ,  the  Sphere  of  the  Believer's  Posses- 
sions     312 

1.  A  new  standing  in  Christ .312 

2.  A  new  life  in  Christ 313 

3.  The  new  presence  and  power  of  the  Spirit  .   313 

4.  A  new  inheritance 314 

5.  A  new  enemy 315 

6.  Access   to    God 315 

7.  The   Word  of  God 320 

Third,     Christ,   the  Sphere  of  the  Believer's  Safe- 
Keeping     321 

Fourth,  Christ,  the  Sphere  of  the  Believer's  Asso- 
ciation         322 

1.  With  God  the  Father 322 

2.  With  Christ  the  Son 323 

3.  With    the   Spirit   of   God 323 

4.  With  Satan  and  his  emissaries     ....  324 

5.  With  the  angels 324 

8.  With    the   world 324 

a.  To   the   world-system 325 

b.  To   human   governments 325 

c.  To   the   unsaved   individual 327 

7.     With  the  whole  body  of  Christ 327 

a.  A   Christian's  relation  to  other  Christians 

in    general 328 

b.  A    Christian's   relation    to    those   who    are 

in  authority  in  the  assembly  of  believers  330 

c.  The    relation    of    Christian    husbands    and 

wives         331 

d.  The  relation  of  Christian  parents  and  chil- 

dren   331 


Contents  xxi 

PAGE 

e.  The  relation  of  Christian  masters  and  serv- 

ants      331 

f.  A.  Christian's  alligation  to  an  erring  brother  332 

g.  A  Christian's  obligation  to  a,  weak  brother  333 

2.     "I  IN  You" 335 

First,      A   New  Divine  Life 336 

Second,  A  New  Enabling  Power 337 

1.  Christian   character 337 

a.  Is  the  sin-nature  controlled  by  eradication?  339 

b.  Is  the  sin-nature  controlled  by  rules  f  .      .   341 
«.     Is  the  sin-nature  controlled  by  the  Spirit  f  341 

2.  Christian    conduct 342 

a.  The  perfect  law  of  liberty 344 

b.  The  law  of  expediency 347 

c.  The  law  of  love 348 

Third,  Christ  in  You  the  Hope  of  Glory   .      .      .  348 

1.  Christ,  the  manifestation  of  God  and  of  the 

Church 349 

2.  The  indwellling  Christ 350 

CHAPTER  FIVE.     CONCLUSION  AND  APPEAL     .      .  353 

INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS 359 

INDEX    OF   SCRIPTURE   TEXTS    .  .  367 


GRACE 


CHAPTER  1 

THE   THEME 

THE  exact  and  discriminate  meaning  of  the  word 
grace  should  be  crystal  clear  to  every  child  of 
God.  With  such  insight  only  can  he  feed  his  own 
soul  on  the  inexhaustible  riches  which  it  unfolds,  and 
with  such  understanding  only  can  he  be  enabled 
clearly  to  pass  on  to  others  its  marvelous,  trans- 
forming theme.  Here  is  a  striking  illustration  of 
the  fact  that  very  much  may  be  represented  by  one 
word.  When  used  in  the  Bible  to  set  forth  the  grace 
of  God  in  the  salvation  of  sinners,  the  word  grace 
discloses  not  onfythe  Dounclless  goodness  and  kind- 
ness of  God  toward  man,  but  reaches  far  beyond  and 
indicates  the  supreme  motive  which  actuated  God  in 
the  creation,  preservation  and  consummation  of  the 
universe.  What  greater  fact  could  be  expressed  by 
one  word? 

The  meaning  of  the  word  grace,  as  used  in  the  New 
Testament,  is  not  unlike  its  meaning  as  employed  in 
common  speech, — but  for  one  important  exception, 
namely,  in  the  Bible  the  word  often  represents  that 
which  is  limitless,  since  it  represents  realities  which 
are  infinite  and  eternal.  It  is  nothing  less  than  the 
unlimited  love  of  God  expressing  itself  in  measureless 
grace. 

The  word  favor  is  the  nearest  Biblical  synonym 
3 


4  Grace 

for  the  word  grace.  In  this  connection  it  may  be 
observed  that  the  one  thought  which  is  almost  ex- 
clusively expressed  in  the  New  Testament  by  the 
word  grace,  is,  in  the  Old  Testament,  almost  exclu- 
sively expressed  by  the  word  jg>vor.  Grace  is  favor, 
and  favor  is  grace.  Thus,  in  considering  the  Bible 
teaching  on  this  great  theme,  equal  attention  should 
be  given  to  all  passages  wherein  either  the  word  grace 
is  used  or  favor  is  found.  Grace  means  pure  un- 
recompensed  kindness  and  favor.  What  is  done  in 
grace  is  done  graciously.  From  this  exact  meaning 
there  can  be  no  departure;  otherwise  grace  ceases  to 
be  grace.  To  arrive  at  the  scope  and  force  of  the 
Bible  doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace  alone  we  need 
to  follow  consistently  the  path  indicated  by  the  exact 
meaning  of  the  word. 

SEVEN  FUNDAMENTAL  FACTS  ABOUT  GRACE. 
First.     Grace  is  not  Withheld  'Because  of  Demerit. 

This  fact  about  grace  is  more  evident,  perhaps, 
than  any  other.  It  is  the  sense  of  demerit  more  than 
anything  else  which  impels  a  soul  to  cry  out  for  the 
kindness  and  benefits  of  grace.  So,  also,  grace  finds 
its  greatest  triumph  and  glory  in  the  sphere  of 
human  helpessness.  Grace  ceases  to  be  grace  if  God 
is  compelled  to  withdraw  it  in  the  presence  of  human 
failure  and  sin.  In  fact,  grace  cannot  be  exercised 
where  there  is  the  slightest  dejjree^of  humah  merit 
to  be  recognized.  On  the  other  hand  the  issue  of 
human  sin  must  be  disposed  of  forever.  Christ  the 
Lamb  of  God,  having  taken  away  the  sin  of  the 
world,  has  by  His  cross  forever  disposed  of  the  con- 


The  Theme  5 

damnation  of  sin.  He  has  by  the  cross  created  an 
entirely  new  relation  between  God  and  man.  Con- 
sequently, men  are  now  either  accepting  or  reject- 
ing Christ  who  has  borne  their  sins.  "He  that 
believeth  on  him  is  not  condemned:  but  he  that 
believeth  not  is  condemned  already,  because  he  hath 
not  believed  in  the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  / 
God"  (John  3:18).  There  is  no  middle  ground.  / 
All  questions  of  demerit  have  been  banished.  Thus 
God  is  righteously  free  to  exercise  grace  in  every 
case.  Salvation  is  by  grace  alone. 

Second.  Grace  Cannot  be  Lessened  Because  of 
Demerit. 

God  cannot  propose  to  do  less  in  grace  for  one  who 
is  sinful  than  He  would  have  done  had  that  one  been 
less  sinful.  Grace  is  never  exercised  by  Him  in  mak- 
ing up  what  may  be  lacking  in  the  life  and  character 
of  a  sinner.  In  such  a  case,  much  sinfulness  would 
call  for  much  grace,  and  little  sinfulness  would  call 
for  little  grace.  The  sin  question  has  been  set  aside 
forever,  and  equal  exercise  of  grace  is  extended  to  all 
who  believe.  It  never  falls  short  of  being  the 
measureless  saving  grace  of  God.  Thus  grace  could 
not  be  increased;  for  it  is  the  expression  of  His  in- 
finite ~iove:  itcould  not  be  diminished;  for  every 
limitation  that  human  sin  might  impose  on  the  action 
of  a  righteous  God  has,  through  the  propitiation  of 
the  cross,  been  dismissed  forever. 

God  does  not  ignore  or  slight  the  fact  of  human 
guilt  and  sin;  for  He  has  met  these  issues  perfectly 
and  finally  for  all  men  in  the  death  of  His  Son. 
There  remains  no  demerit,  nor  degrees  of  demerit, 


6  Grace 

to  be  considered  or  recognized.  By  grace  there  is 
now  offered  alike  to  all  men  all  the  infinite  resources 
of  the  saving  power  of  God.  The  grace  of  God  is, 
therefore,  exercised  in  perfect  independence  of  human 
sin,  or  any  degree  of  human  sin. 

Third.     Grace  Cannot  Incur  a  Debt. 

An  act  is  in  no  sense  gracious  if  under  any  con- 
ditions a  debt  is  incurred.  Grace,  being  unrecom- 
pensed  favor,  is  necessarily  unrecompensed  as  to 
obligations  which  are  past,  unrecompensed  as  to  ob- 
ligations which  are  present,  and  unreeompensed  as 
to  obligations  which  are  future.  Grace  must  always 
remain  unadulterated  in  its  generosity  and  benefit. 
How  emphatically  this  is  true  of  the  grace  of  God 
towards  sinners !  Yet  how  often  this  aspect  of  divine 
salvation  is  perverted!  Infinite  and  eternal  trans- 
formations are  wrought  by  the  power  of  God  when 
He  exercises  His  grace.  He  is  thereby  glorified  and 
sinners  are  saved.  Such  far-reaching  results  cannot 
fail  to  satisfy  and  delight  Him  eternally;  but  He 
remains  unrecompensed  for  His  salvation  through 
grace.  What  He  does  He  bestows  as  a  gift.  Right- 
fully a  benefit  cannot  be  called  a  gift  if  it  is  paid  for 
before,  at  the  time,  or  after.  This  is  a  fundamental 
truth  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  it  is  imperative  that 
it  be  kept  free  from  all  confusing  complications. 

When  a  recompense  for  the  gift  of  God  is  proposed, 
every  element  of  salvation  is  obscured,  and  the  true 
motive  for  Christian  service  is  sacrificed  as  well. 
The  Scriptures  everywhere  guard  these  two  truths 
from  such  perversion;  for,  in  the  Bible,  salvation 
is  always  presented  as  a  gift,  an  unrecompensed 


The  Theme  7 

favor,  a  pure  benefit  from  God  (John  10:28;  Rom. 
6:23).  And,  in  like  manner,  no  service  is  to  be 
wrought,  and  no  offering  is  to  be  given,  with  a  view 
to  repaying  God  for  His  gift.  Any  attempt  to  com- 
pensate God  for  His  gift  is  an  act  so  utterly  out  of 
harmony  with  the  revealed  Truth,  and  exhibits  such 
a  lack  of  appreciation  of  His  loving  bounty,  that  it 
cannot  be  other  than  distressing  to  the  Giver.  All 
attempts  to  repay  His  gift,  be  they  ever  so  sincere, 
serve  only  to  frustrate  His  grace  and  to  lower  the 
marvelous  kindness  of  God  to  the  sordid  level  of 
barter  and  trade.  How  faithfully  we  should  serve 
Him,  but  never  to  repay  Him!  Service  is  the 
Christian 's  means  of  expressing  his  love  and  devotion 
to  God,  as  God  has  expressed  His  love  to  those  whom 
He  saves  by  the  gracious  thing  He  has  done.  Chris- 
tian service  for  God  should  be  equally  gracious. 

It  therefore  becomes  those  who  have  received  His 
gifts  in  grace  to  be  jealous  for  the  purity  of  their 
motives  in  service  for  Him.  Unwittingly  the  grace 
of  God  is  too  often  denied  by  well-meaning  attempts 
to  compensate  God  for  His  benefits.  No  semblance 
of  the  most  vital  facts  about  divine  grace  can  be 
retained  unless  salvation  is,  in  its  every  aspect,  treated 
as  a  gift  from  God,  and  Christian  service  and  faith- 
fulness is  deemed  to  be  only  the  expression  of  love 
and  gratitude  to  God. 

According  to  the  Scriptures,  salvation  is  never 
conditioned  on  human  faithf ulness,  or  on  the  promise 
of  human  faithfulness.  There  is  no  payment  re- 
quired, past,  present,  or  future.  God  saves  un- 
meriting  sinners  in  unrelated,  unrecompensed,  un- 
conditioned, sovereign  grace.  Good  works  should 


8  Grace 

follow;  but  with  no  thought  of  compensation. 
Christians  are  "created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good 
works"  (Eph.  2:10);  they  are  to  be  a  "peculiar 
people,  zealous  of  good  works"  (Tit.  2:14);  and 
"they  which  have  believed  in  God  might  be  careful 
to  maintain  good  works"  (Tit.  3:8).  Thus,  and 
only  thus,  are  "good  works"  related  to  the  gracious 
salvation  from  God  through  Christ  Jesus.  Grace 
is  out  of  question  when  recompense  is  in  question. 

Fourth.  Grace  is  not  Exercised  in  the  Just  Pay- 
ment of  a  Debt. 

The  fact  is  self-evident  that  the  payment  of  an 
honest  debt  could  never  be  an  act  of  grace.  In  no 
circumstances,  however,  is  the  recognition  of  this 
truth  more  important  than  when  grace  is  declared 
to  be  the  present  divine  plan  for  the  salvation  of 
sinners.  If  God  should  discover  the  least  degree 
of  merit  in  the  sinner,  this,  in  strict  righteousness, 
He  must  recognize  and  duly  acknowledge.  By  such 
a  recognition  of  human  merit,  He  would  be  dis- 
charging an  obligation  toward  the  sinner  and  the 
discharge  of  that  obligation  toward  the  sinner  would 
be  the  payment,  or  recognition,  of  a  debt.  "Now 
to  him  that  worketh  is  the  reward  not  reckoned  of 
grace,  but  of  debt"  (Rom.  4:4). 

It  is  therefore  imperafive^lhat  every  vestige  of 
human  merit  shall  be  set  aside  completely  if  an  op- 
portunity is  provided  whereby  pure  grace  may  be 
exercised  in  the  salvation  of  men.  For  the  sole  pur- 
pose that  pure  grace  might  be  exercised  toward  men, 
the  human  family  has  been  placed  under  the  divine 
judicial  sentence  of  sin.  It  is  obviously  true  that  all 


The  Theme  9 

men  are  sinners  both  by  nature  and  by  practice ;  but 
the  present  divine  decree  goes  far  beyond  this  evident 
state  of  sinfulness  wherein  one  man  might  be  deemed 
to  be  more,  or  less,  sinful  than  another;  for  God,  in 
this  dispensation,  which  began  with  the  cross,  has 
pronounced  an  equal  and  absolute  sentence  of  judg- 
ment against  all,  both  Jew  and  Gentile.  Men  are 
now  ''already  condemned"  (John  3:18);  they  are 
"children  of  disobedience"  (Eph.  2:2)  ;  not  on  the 
ground  of  their  own  sinfulness,  but  on  the  ground 
of  their  federal  headship  in  fallen  Adam.  Men  are 
now  judicially  reckoned  to  be  "in  unbelief"  (Rom. 
11:32);  they  are  "under  sin"  (Rom.  3:9;  Gal. 
3:22) ;  and  they  are  "guilty"  (Rom.  3:19).  Thus 
all  human  merit  has  been  disposed  of  absolutely  and 
forever,  and  there  is  no  longer  the  slightest  possi- 
bility that,  because  of  personal  merit,  a  divine  obli- 
gation may  now  exist  toward  any  individual.  The 
sole  divine  object  in  thus  universally  and  judicially 
disposing  of  all  human  merit  is  clearly  revealed: 
"For  God  hath  concluded  them  all  in  unbelief,  that 
he  might  have  mercy  upon  all"  (Rom.  11:32). 
Also,  "But  the  scripture  hath  concluded  all  under 
sin,  that  the  promise  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  might 
be  given  to  them  that  believe"  (Gal.  3:22). 

That  God  now  saves  sinners  by  grace  alone  and 
apart  from  every  human  merit  is  the  teaching  of 
His  Word :  ' '  For  by  grace  are  ye  saved  though  faith ; 
and  that  not  of  yourselves :  it  is  the  gift  of  God :  not 
of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast.  For  we  are  his 
workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good 
worka,  which  God  hath  before  ordained  ihat  we 
should  walk  in  them"  (Eph.  2:8-10). 


io  Grace 

In  this  passage  the  only  order  which  can  exist 
between  divine  grace  and  human  merit  is  made 
clear.  Man  is  permitted  to  do  nothing  until  God 
has  done  all  that  His  grace  designs.  "Good  works" 
grow  out  of,  and  are  made  possible  by,  the  gracious 
work  of  God.  To  this  exact  order  all  revelation 
concerning  divine  grace  is  in  agreement. 

A  striking  emphasis  is  given  to  the  fact  that  God 
now  saves  by  grace  alone  when  the  Biblical  doctrines 
of  salvation  by  grace  and  the  believer's  rewards  for 
service  are  contrasted.  Salvation,  being  always  and 
only  a  work  of  God  for  man,  is  always  and  only  by 
grace  alone;  while  rewards,  being  always  and  only 
that  which  is  merited  by  the  faithful  service  of  the 
Christian,  are  always  and  only  based  on  works.  Hu- 

in  merit  is  always  in  view  in  the  divine  bestow- 
ment  of  rewards;  and  the  grace  of  God  is  never 
mentioned  in-  connection  with  His  bestowment  of 
rewards  ( 1  Cor.  3 :  9-15 ;  9 : 18-27 ;  2  Cor.  5 : 10) .  So, 
also,  human  works  are  never  included  as  forming 
any  part  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  grace. 

An  act  ceases  to  be  gracious,  therefore,  when  it 
is  a  recognition  of  merit,  or  the  payment  of  a  just 
debt.  "Being  justified  freely  [without  cause]  by 
his  grace  through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus"  (Eom.  3:24). 

Fifth.  Grace  is  Never  the  Over-payment  of  a 
Debt. 

Grace  is  no  longer  grace  if  it  is  complicated  in  the 
slightest  degree  with  the  payment  of  a  just  debt. 
It  can  never  be  that  which  is  added  to,  or  a  part 


The  Theme  n 

of,  a  righteous  transaction.  A  bounty  may  be  added 
to  the  payment  of  a  debt, — an  extra  amount  above 
the  full  measure  due;  but  in  no  case  should  this 
extra  amount  be  considered  a  matter  of  pure  grace. 
The  character  of  the  bounty  thus  added  would,  of 
necessity,  be  qualified  to  some  extent  by  the  relation 
of  the  bounty  to  the  debt.  The  bounty  will  be  either 
more,  or  less,  than  it  would  have  been  had  it  stood 
alone.  Inevitably  it  will  be  affected  to  some  degree 
by  the  righteous  transaction  with  which  it  is  com- 
bined. In  the  Word  of  God,  as  in  common  usage,  the 
word  grace,  in  its  exact  meaning,  precludes  any  com- 
plications with  other  acts  or  issues  however  righteous 
and  just.  Grace  speaks  of  a  gift,  not  of  barter  or 
trade  however  unequal.  It  is  pure  kindness,  not 
the  fulfilling  of  an  obligation.  An  act  in  order  to 
be  gracious  must  stand  disassociated  and  alone. 
Divine  salvation  is,  therefore,  the  kindness  of  God 
toward  sinners.  It  is  not  less  than  it  would  be  had 
they  sinned  less.  It  is  not  more  than  it  would  be 
had  they  sinned  more.  It  is  wholly  unrelated  to 
every  question  of  human  merit.  Grace  is  neither 
treating  a  person  as  he  deserves,  nor  treating  a 
person  better  than  he  deserves.  It  is  treating  a 
person  graciously  without  the  slightest  reference  to 
his  deserts.  Grace  is  infinite  love  expressing  itself 
in  infinite  goodness. 

Through  the  death  of  Christ  by  which  He  took 
away  the  sin  of  the  world,  and  through  the  divine 
decree  which  has  constituted  all  to  be  "under  sin," 
grace  is  free  to  save  in  every^  case,  and  only  grace 
can  save  in  any  case.  Divine  grace  is  never  decreased 


1 2  Grace 

or  increased.  It  offers  a  standardized,  unvarying 
blessing  to  every  individual  alike.  The  blessing  is 
measureless  since  it  represents  in  every  case  no  less 
than  all  that  God,  being  actuated  by  infinite  love, 
can  do. 

Sixth.     Grace  does  not  Appear  in  the  Immediate 
Divine  Dealings  with  the  Sins  of  the  Unsaved. 

"  It  is  probable  that  no  point  in  the  Gospel  of 
God's  saving  grace  is  so  misunderstood,  and,  con- 
sequently, so  misstated  as  the  revealed  truth  con- 
cerning the  immediate  divine  dealings  with  the  sins 
of  the  unsaved.  It  seems  most  difficult  for  the  mind 
to  grasp  the  fact  that,  as  revealed  in  God's  Word, 
God  does  not  deal  with  any  sin  in  mercyz  or  len- 
iency. The  sinner  is  never  forgiven  because  God 
is  big-hearted  enough  to  remit  the  penalty,  or  to 
waive  the  righteous  judgments.  Any  presentation 
of  divine  forgiveness  which  represents  God  as 
directly  exercising  clemency  toward  a  sinner  is  a 
fatal  detraction  from  the  meaning  of  the  cross  of 
Christ,  and  is  a  disastrous  misrepresentation  of  the 
truth  contained  in  the  Gospel  of  His  saving  grace. 
Those  who  dare  to  preach  the  Gospel  should  give  to 
the  cross  its  true  place  of  vital  importance  as  given 
to  it  in  the  Word  of  God.  How  can  God  utter  a 
more  alarming  warning  on  this  point  than  is  dis- 
closed in  the  revelation  of  the  unrevoked  anathema 
upon  all  who  pervert  the  Gospel  of  grace?  "But 
though  we,  or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  any  other 
gospel  unto  you  than  that  which  we  have  preached 
unto  you,  let  him  be  accursed.  As  we  said  before, 
so  say  I  now  again,  If  any  man  preach  any  other 


The  Theme 

gospel  unto  you  than  that  ye  have  received,  let 
be  accursed"  (Gal.  1:8,  9). 

Turning  from  human  speculation  to  the  Scrip- 
tures of  Truth,  we  discover  one  basic  fact:  The 
Lamb  of  God  has  already  "taken  away"  the  sin  of 
the  world  (John  1:29).  The  fact  that  Christ,  as 
Substitute,  has  already  borne  the  undiminished 
righteous  judgments  of  God  against  sin,  is  the  sole 
ground  upon  which  divine  forgiveness  is  now  exer- 
cised. The  forgiveness  of  God  toward  sinners,  there- 
fore, is  not  an  immediate  act  of  grace;  it  is  rather  a 
judicial  pardon  of  a  debtor  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
his  debt  has  been  fully  paid  by  Another.  "We  could 
not  know  how  much  He  paid;  yet,  though  unable 
to  measure  redemption,  we  may  rejoice  in  the  fact 
that  all,  even  to  the  measure  of  the  righteous  reckon- 
ing of  God,  is  absolutely  and  eternally  paid  by  Christ. 
It  is  not  a  question  of  the  relative  benefits  which 
might  possibly  accrue  to  the  sinner  under  one  form 
of  forgiveness  or  another, — were  he  forgiven  gra- 
ciously, or  in  strict  justice;  it  is  a  question  of  the 
basis  upon  which  any  divine  forgivness  can  be  ex- 
tended righteously.  This  righteous  basis  has  been 
provided  in  the  cross.  By  Gospel  preaching,  sin- 
ners are  to  be  told  that  they  may  now  stand  forever 
pardoned  before  God:  not  because  God  is  gracious 
enough  to  excuse  their  sins;  but  because  there  is 
plentiful  redemption  through  the  blood  that  has 
been  shed  (Rom.  3:24;  Eph.  1:7).  Being  free  to 
forgive  at  all,  God  is  free  to  forgive  perfectly.  On  no 
other  ground  can  the  marvelous  statement, — "having 
forgiven  you  all  trespasses"  (Col.  2:13),  be  under- 
stood. This  Scripture  is  addressed  to  Christians  and 


14  Grace 

it  exactly  defines  the  scope  of  divine  forgiveness  which 
is  theirs.  It  likewise  indicates  the  measure  of  for- 
giveness which  is  offered  to  the  unsaved. 

When  God  thus  forgives,  absolutely  and  eternally, 
through  the  cross  of  Christ  He  is  acting  as  Judge. 
By  this  judicial  decree,  He  sets  aside  forever  all 
condemnation.  Such  judicial  forgiveness,  which 
guarantees  an  unchangeable  standing  and  position  in 
sonship,  should  not  be  confused  with  the  Father's 
forgiveness  toward  His  sinning  child,  which  is  wholly 
within  the  family  relationship,  and  which  restores 
lost  fellowship  and  joy  to  the  child  of  God. 

Every  unsaved  person  is  under  the  three-fold  sen- 
tence of  sin.  He  is  a  sinner  by  practice,  a  sinner 
by  natiire,  and  a  sinner  by  divine  decree.  God  deals 
with  this  three-fold  aspect  of  sin  by  a  three-fold 
achievement  in  grace.  There  is  forgiveness  for  man 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  he  is  a  sinner  by  practice; 
there  is  imputed  righteousness  for  man  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  he  is  a  sinner  by  nature;  and  there  is 
the  divine  decree  of  justification  for  man  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  he  is  a  sinner  who,  by  divine  decree,  is 
"under  sin." 

Judical  forgiveness  itself  is  not  an  act  of  grace, 
nor  is  judicial  forgiveness  a  mere  act  of  divine 
clemency  for  some  particular  sins  of  present  moment 
to  the  sinner:  judicial  forgiveness  covers  all  sin, 
and  by  it  the  sinner  is,  as  to  possible  condemnation, 
pardoned  forever.  This  pardon  covers  all  sins  past, 
present,  or  future.  God  the  Righteous  Father  will, 
in  infinite  faithfulness,  correct  and  chasten  His  sin- 
ning child,  and  the  sinning  child  will  need  to  con- 
fess his  sin  in  order  to  be  restored  into  fellowship 


The  Theme  15 

with  his  Father;  but  the  Father  will  never  condemn 
His  child  (John  3 : 18 ;  5 :  24 ;  Bom.  8 : 1  R.  V. ;  I  Cor. 
11:31,  32).  The  forgiveness  of  God  toward  the  sin- 
ner is,  then,  made  possible  only  through  the  cross  and 
is  never  an  act  of  immediate  grace,  and,  when  it  is 
free  to  be  extended  at  all,  it  is  'boundless.  It  con- 
templates and  includes  all  sin.  It  forever  absolves 
and  acquits  the  sinner. 

Though  divine  forgiveness  results  in  a  position  for 
the  sinner  wherein  there  is  no  condemnation,  this 
fact  should  in  no  wise  be  confused  with  the  deeper 
aspect  of  God's  saving  grace  wherein  He  justifies 
the  sinner.  Forgiveness  cancels  every  debt  before 
God,  but  justification  declares  the  sinner  to  be  for- 
ever judicially  righteous  in  the  eyes  of  God.  One 
is  subtraction,  the  other  is  addition;  and  both  are  \ 
righteously  made  possible  through  the  cross. 

Of  the  various  divine  undertakings  in  the  salva- 
tion of  a  sinner,  some  are  acts  of  divine  justice,  and 
some  are  acts  of  the  immediate,  super-abounding 
grace  of  God.  Those  acts  which  deal  with  human 
unworthiness  and  sin  are  acts  of  justice.  These  in- 
clude forgiveness,  justification,  death  to  the  law,  free- 
dom from  the  law,  and  the  whole  new  creation.  AH 
this  is  made  possible  through  the  cross  of  Christ  and, 
therefore,  is  not  accomplished  by  an  act  of  immediate 
grace.  On  the  other  hand,  those  aspects  of  salvation 
wherein  God  is  revealed  as  imparting  and  bestowing 
His  benefits  are  said  to  be  immediate  acts  of  grace. 
These  include  the  gift  of  eternal  life,  the  imputed 
righteousness  of  God,  and  every  spiritual  blessing. 
Limitless  grace  is  seen  in  the  love  of  God  which  pro- 
vided the  cross;  but  when  that  cross  is  provided, 


1 6  Grace 

every  saving  act  that  is  based  upon  it  becomes  an 
act  of  justice,  rather  than  an  act  of  immediate  grace. 
"That  he  might  be  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him 
which  believeth  in  Jesus"  (Rom.  3I26).1 

c 
Seventh.     Grace  does  not  Appear  in  the  Immediate 

Divine  Dealings  with  the  Sins  of  the  Saved. 

The  divine  dealings  with  the  sins  of  the  saved  are 
similar  to  the  divine  dealings  with  the  sins  of  the  un- 
saved in  one  particular,  namely,  what  God  does  in 
either  case  is  done  on  the  ground  of  the  cross  of  Christ. 
By  that  cross  all  sin,  whether  it  be  that  of  saint  or 
sinner,  has  been  righteously  judged,  and  the  ransom 
price,  which  satisfies  every  demand  of  infinite  holi- 
ness, has  been  paid.  By  His  death,  Christ  provided 
the  sufficient  ground  for  both  the  salvation  of  the 
unsaved,  and  the  restoration  of  the  saved.  It  is 
because  of  what  has  already  been  accomplished  in 
the  cross  concerning  the  sin  of  the  world,  that  the 

i  Under  grace,  the  salvation  of  a  sinner  is  declared  in  about 
115  passages  to  depend  only  on  believing,  and  in  about  35  pas- 
sages to  depend  on  faith,  which  is  but  a  synonym  of  believ- 
ing.    The   Scripture   everywhere   harmonizes   with   this  over- 
whelming body  of  truth.     Without  due  consideration  of  the 
precise  bearing  of  this  revelation  on  the  doctrine  of  grace, 
zealous  workers  have  proposed  to  add  certain   conditions  to 
the  plan  of  salvation  other  than  believing.     (1)    It   is  not, 
"believe    and    pray."     In    view    of    His    grace,    it    is    in    no 
^wise    necessary,    or    fitting,    to    implore    God    to    save.     (2) 
/It    is    not    "believe    and    confess  v  jjjn.."    Confession    of    sin, 
/  which    is    the    one    condition    upon    which    a    saint    may    be 
I  restored    to    fellowship,    is    never    imposed    on    the    unsaved. 
V  Confession   is   foreign   to  the   ground   on   which   they   stand. 
(3)   It    is    not    "believe    and  .confess    Christ    belfore    men." 
This  condition,  though  imposed  in  the  kingdom  teachings  of 
Christ   CMt.  10:  32) ,  is  not,  and  could  not  be,  a  condition  of 
salvation  under  grace.    Romans  10:  9  is  given  its  final  order 


The  Theme  17 

unregenerate  are  freely  forgiven  and  justified.  This 
is  a  part  of  God 's  saving  grace,  and  is  wrought  on  the 
sole  condition  that  they  believe;  while  the  regenerate 
are  forgiven  and  cleansed  on  the  sole  condition  that 
they  confess.  These  twr  requirements  indicated 
by  these  two  words,  it  will  be  noted,  are  wholly  dif- 
ferent. The  human  obligation  as  represented  by 
each  word  is  exactly  adapted  in  each  case  to  the 
precise  relationships  which,  on  the  one  hand,  exist 
between  God  and  the  unsaved,  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  exist  between  God  and  the  saved.  The  salva- 
tion of  the  sinner  is  unto  union  with  God:  the  res- 
toration of  the  saint  is  unto  [communion  with  God. 
Believing  and  confessing  are  two  widely  differing 
human  conditions,  or  obligations,  and  should  never 
be  confused  or  interchanged.  The  lost  are  never 
saved  by  confessing,  and  the  saved  are  never  re- 
stored by  believing. 

That  there  is  no  greater  demand  imposed  upon 

and  force  in  verse  10.  There  confession  is  seen  to  be  the 
the  expression  of  salvation  which  has  been  received  by 
believing.  It  is  primarily  the  voice  of  the  new-born  babe 
in  Christ  speaking  to  its  Father, — "Abba  Father."  Multi- 
tudes have  been  saved  who  were  deprived  of  any  opportunity 
of  a  public  confession.  (4)  It  is  not  "believe  and  be  bap- 
tized." Mark  16:  16  is  the  one  instance  in  Scripture  where 
these  two  conditions  are  linked  together.  Not  only  is  the 
context — Mark  16:  9-20 — omitted  in  the  oldest  manuscripts, 
the  omission  of  the  word  baptized  from  the  negative 
statement,  "he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned,"  is  evidence 
that  baptism  is  not  the  essential  condition  in  the  positive 
statement.  (5)  It  is  not  "believe  and  repent."  About  six 
times  these  two  conditions  are  thus  joineoin  the  Scriptures 
which  are  addressed  to  the  unsaved  in  this  dispensation, 
and  for  obvious  reasons.  Over  against  this,  it  should  be 
considered  that  believe,  or  faith,  is  used,  apart  from  the 
word  repentance,  no  less  than  IjjjfLtimes;  the  Gospel  by  John 


0. 


1 8  Grace 

the  unsaved  than  that  he  'believe,  and  no  greater 
demand  imposed  upon  the  saved  than  that  he  con- 
fess, is  due  to  that  which  Christ  accomplished  on 
the  cross.  He  wrought  in  behalif  of  sinner  and 
saint  in  bearing  the  sin  of  the  world,  and  every  re- 
quirement of  infinite  justice  is  met  for  all  in  the 
finished  work  of  Christ.  In  the  one  case,  there  is 
nothing  left  to  be  done  but  to  believe;  while  in  the 
~r*  other  case,  there  is  nothing  left  to  be  done  but  to 
confess. 

The  revealed  attitude  of  God  toward  all  men  is 
that  of  grace  alone.  Therefore  He  does  not  need  to 
be  coaxed  or  persuaded.  With  His  hand  out- 
stretched to  bestow  all  that  His  grace  can  offer,  it  is 
highly  inconsistent  to  plead  with  Him  to  be  gracious, 

which  was  written  that  men  might  be  saved,  does  not  use 
repentance  in  any  form  of  the  word;  and  the  Book  of  Romans, 
which  was  written  to  unfold  the  whole  doctrine  of  salvation, 
like  the  Gospel  by  John,  does  not  once  condition  salvation  on 
repentance,  or  anything  other  than  believvng.  Repentance, 
which  means  "a  change  of  mind,"  is  never  excluded  from  the 
terms  of  salvation;  it  is  included  as  an  essential  part  of  be- 
lieving. There  is  no  Scriptural  warrant  for  the  grace-con- 
fusing practice  of  some  who  insist  that  repentance  and  be- 
lieving are  separate  obligations  to  be  imposed  on  the  unsaved. 
It  is  impossible  for  a  person  to  believe  who  does  not  repent. 
In  believing,  he  will  experience  that  change  of  mind  which 
turns  from  all  else  unto  Christ  as  the  Object  of  trust.  Meas- 
ureless harm  has  been  done  to  souls  when  it  has  been  taught 
that  a  self-imposed  repentance  must  precede  faith  in  Christ. 
Such  insistence  ignores  every  vital  aspect  of  saving  grace. 

Saving  faith  is  more  than  a  belief  in  historical  facts 
concerning  Christ;  it  is  tq  Tf<\V~^n  ^rifl*-  *•**  fcPST'1  nn  m" 
saving  grace,  and  to^r^cgjggjjiin,;  it  is  to  believe  the  record" 
God  has  given  concerning  His  Bon.  In  preaching  the  Gospel, 
emphasis  should  not  fall  on  the  mere  human  act  of  believing; 
it  should  fall,  rather,  on  the  precise  message  which  is  to  be 
believed. 


or  to  coax.  Him  to  be  good.  By  the  unvarying  teach- 
ing of  God's  Word,  and  by  the  inexorable  logic  of 
the  accomplished  value  of  the  cross,  the  forgiveness 
and  blessing  of  God  to  the  unsaved  is  conditioned 
upon  believing,  and  to  the  saved  it  is  conditioned 
upon  confessing. 

1  John  1:1  to  2:2  is  the  central  passage  in  the 
Bible  wherein  the  divine  method  of  dealing  with  the 
sins  of  Christians  is  stated.  A  portion  of  this  most 
important  passage  is  as  follows:  "If  we  confess  our 
sins,  he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins, 
and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness.  .  .  . 
My  little  children,  these  things  write  I  unto  you,  that 
ye  sin  not  [be  not  sinning].  And  if  any  man  sin, 
we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ 
the  righteous :  and  he  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins : 
and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  world." 

According  to  this  Scripture,  four  vital  elements 
enter  into  that  divine  forgiving  and  cleansing  which 
constitutes  the  restoration  of  a  sinning  saint:  (1) 
Confession  is  the  one  and  only  condition  on  the 
human  side;  (2) Absolute  forgiveness  and  Qleans; 
ing  is  promised  on  the  divine"si3eTT3)  The  Christian, 
while  sinning,  has  been  safe^as  to  divine  condemna- 
tion, because  of  his  Advocate  with  the  Father, 
Jesus  Christ  the  righteous;  and  (4)  Divine 
forgiveness  and  cleansing  is  exercised  toward  the 
believer  in  unchallenged  faithfulness  and  justice 
because  Christ  is  "the  propitiation  for  our 
sins." 

In  this  transaction,  as  it  is  thus  disclosed,  the 
believer  makes  no  disposition  of  his  own  sin;  that 


2O  Grace 

has  been  made*  for  him.  So,  also,  the  Advocate 
makes  no  excuses  for  the  sinning  Christian,  nor  does 
He  plead  for  the  clemency  of  the  Father  in  behalf  of 
the  believer  who  has  sinned.  The  Advocate  presents 
the,  sufficiency  of  His  own  blood  to  meet  the  condemna- 
tion of  every  sin.  The  Father  does  not  act  in  gracious 
kindness  when  forgiving  and  cleansing  the  believer: 
He  acts  in  strict  faithfulness  to  His  convenant  and 
promise  of  eternal  keeping,  and  in  strict  justice 
because  of  the  shed-blood.  Such  is  the  unchanging 
value  of  the  propitiation  which  Christ  made  in  His 
blood. 

It  should  also  be  noted  that,  according  to  this 
revelation,  the  sinning  saint  is  never  before  any  tri- 
bunal other  than  that  of  his  own  Father.  The  eternal 
relationship  between  the  Father  and  His  child  can 
never  be  set  aside.  The  Father  may  correct  and 
chasten  His  erring  child  (1  Cor.  11:31,  32;  Heb. 
12:3-15),  and  through  confession  the  child  may  be 
restored  to  the  place  of  fellowship;  but  all  of  this 
is  wholly  within  the  inner  circle  of  the  family  and 
household  of  God.  Condemnation,  which  would  ex- 
pel the  child  from  the  place  of  a  son,  is  forever 
past.  Nor  does  the  sinning  Christian  draw  on  the 
mercy  and  favor  of  God  when  he  is  restored  to 
fellowship  in  the  household  of  God.  How  easily 
mercy  and  favor  might  be  exhausted  and  overdrawn ! 
On  the  contrary,  the  Christian,  sheltered  under  the 
blood  of  propitiation,  and  standing  in  the  merit  of 
his  Adyocale,  is  on  a  basis  where  no  past  offences 
have  accumulated  against  him;  for  he  is  cleansed 
and  forgiven  under  the  legal  justice  of  the  Father. 
The  justice  of  God  is  made  possible  and  is  right- 


The  Theme  21 

eously  demanded  in  view  of  the  shed-blood  of  His 
own  Son. 

Let  it  not  be  supposed  that  this  divine  plan  of 
restoration  of  the  child  of  God  to  the  Father's  fel- 
lowship will  react  in  an  attitude  of  carelessness  on 
the  part  of  the  Christian.  The  sufficient  answer  to 
this  challenge  is  three-fold:  (1)  True  confession  is 
the  expression  of  a  very  real  repentance,  or  change 
of  mind,  which  turns  from  the  sin.  This  is  the 
exact  opposite  of  becoming  accustomed  to  the  sin, 
or  becoming  careless  with  regard  to  it.  (2)  This 
very  revelation  is  given,  we  are  told,  not  to  encour- 
age, or  license  us  to  sin;  but  rather  that  "ye  sin 
not"  (be  not  sinning).  According  to  the  Scrip- 
tures and  according  to  human  experience,  the  be- 
liever's safety  in  the  faithfulness  and  justice  of  the 
Father  and  the  advocacy  and  propititation  of  the 
Son,  is  the  greatest  incentive  for  a  holy  life.  It  is 
clearly  revealed  that  God  has,  by  other  and  suffi- 
cient means,  guarded  against  all  .careless  sinning  on 
the  part  of  those  whom  He  has  eternally  saved 
through  the  merit  of  His  Son.  And  (3)  God  can 
righteously  deal  with  sin  in  noi  other  way  than 
through  the  absolute  value  of  the  blood  of  His  Son; 
but  when  sin  has  been  laid  on  the  Substitute,  it 
can  never  be  laid  back  on  the  sinner,  or  on  any 
other.  In  the  cross  of  Christ,  the  question  of  a 
possible  condemnation  because  of  sin  is  adjusted 
forever.  Mercy  and  grace, can  never  be  co-mingled 
with  divine  justice.  Boundless  grace  is  disclosed  in 
the  provision  of  a  perfect  propitiation  for  the  sins  of 
the  believer;  but  the  application  of  the  propitita- 
tion is  never  gracious;  it  is  none  other  than  the 


22  Grace 

faithfulness  and  justice  of  the  Father.  Therefore 
grace  does  not  appear  in  the  forgiving  and  cleansing 
of  the  Christian's  sins. 

RESTATEMENT 

It  may  be  concluded  that  the  word  grace,  as  used 
in  the  Bible  in  relation  to  divine  salvation,  represents 
the  uncompromised,  unrestricted,  unrecompensed, 
loving  favor  of  God  toward  sinners.  It  is  an  un- 
earned blessing.  It  is  a  gratuity.  God  is  absolutely 
untrammeled  and  unshackled  in  expressing  His  in- 
finite love  by  Bis  infinite  grace  (1)  through  the  death 
of  His  Lamb  by  whom  every  limitation  which  human 
sin  could  impose  has  been  dispelled,  (2)  through  the 
provision  which  offers  salvation  as  a  gift  by  which 
human  obligation  has  been  forever  dismissed,  and  (3) 
through  the  divine  decree  by  which  human  merit  has 
been  forever  deposed.  Grace  is  the  limitless,  unre- 
strained love  of  God  for  the  lost,  acting  in  full  compli- 
ance with  the  exact  and  unchangeable  demands  of  His 
own  righteousness  through  the  sacrificial  death  of 
Christ.  Grace  is  more  than  love ;  it  is  love  set  abso- 
lutely free  and  made  to  be  a  triumphant  victor  over 
the  righteous  judgment  of  God  against  the  sinner. 

Having  examined  into  the  meaning  of  the  word 
grace,  the  three-fold  divine  ministry  and  undertak- 
ing in  grace  should  be  considered.    It  will  be  observed 
that: 
f"    I.  God  saves  sinners  by  grace, 

II.  God  keeps  through  grace  those  who  are  saved, 
and, 

III.  God  teaches  in  grace  those  who  are  saved  and 
kept    how    they    should    live,    and    how    they   may 

l  live,  to  His  eternal  glory. 


CHAPTER  II 

SALVATION    BY  GRACE 

SCRIPTURE  discloses  the  fact  that  the  power  and 
resources  of  God  are  more  taxed  by  all  that  enters 
into  the  salvation  of  the  soul  than  His  power  and  re- 
sources were  taxed  in  the  creation  of  the  material 
universe.  In  salvation  God  has  wrought  to  the 
extreme  limit  of  His  might.  He  spared  not  His  own 
Son,  but  delivered  Him  up  for  us  all.  He  could 
do  no  more. 

Pour  aspects  of  His  saving  grace  are  now  to  be 
examined:  (1)  Three  divine  motives  in  grace,  (2) 
Three  principles  which  cannot  co-exist  with  grace, 
(3)  The  gracious  work  of  God  for  man,  and  (4) 
Saving  grace  is  sovereign  grace. 

I.      THREE  DIVINE   MOTIVES  IN  GRACE. 

In  the  Bible,  three  motives  are  assigned  to  God  Tor 
the  salvation  of  sinners.  These  motives  are  to  be 
considered  in  what  seems  to  be  the  order  of  their 
importance;  beginning  with  that  which  seems  to  be 
the  least  and  moving  on  to  that  which  seems  to  be 
the  greatest. 

/     First.    Men  are  Said   to   be  Saved  that  "Good 
\Works"  may  Result. 

A  statement  of  this  truth  is  found  in  Eph.  2 : 10 : 
"For  we  are  his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ 

23 


24  Grace 

Jesus  unto  good  works,  which  God  hath  before  or- 
dained that  we  should  walk  in  them."  Few  por- 
tions of  the  Scriptures  present  more  of  the  essentials 
of  salvation  than  this  passage.  It  should  be  con- 
sidered in  its  various  revelations : 

"We  are  his  workmanship." 

Whatever  enters  into  the  transformation  of  the 
individual  at  the  time  he  is  saved  is  wholly  a  work 
of  God  for  man.  It  is  in  no  wise  related  to  any  work 
which!  man  might  do  for  God.  According  to  the 
Scriptures,  God  alone  can  save,  and  God  alone  can 
keep.  All  that  will  have  been  done  when  God 's  saving 
work  is  completed,  will  be  seen  to  be  "his  workman- 
ship." 

"Created  in  Christ  Jesus." 

The  divine  work  in  behalf  of  a  saved  person  is 
nothing  less  than  a  new  creation.  He  has  passed 
through  the  creative  hand  of  God  a  second  time  and 
has  become  a  new  creature.  The  result  is  a  new 
birth, — a  regeneration  by  the  Spirit.  TTiis  new  crea- 
tion is  organically  related  to  Christ  as  a  branch  is  in 
the  vine,  and  as  a  member  is  in  the  human  body.  So 
the  believer  is  in  Christ.  He  is  "created  in  Christ 
Jesus." 

"Unto  good  works.'' 

Never  is  the  sinner  created  in  Christ  Jesus  ~by  good 
works.  The  divine  purpose  is  here  revealed.  Good 
works  are  possible  only  to  those  who  are  "created 
in  Christ  Jesus."  This  truth  is  twice  stated  in  the 
Epistle  to  Titus:  "Who  gave  himself  for  us,  that 


Salvation  by  Grace  25 

he,  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  un- 
to himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works"; 
"This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  these  things  I  will 
that  thou  affirm  constantly,  that  they  which  have 
believed  in  God  might  be  careful  to  maintain  good 
works.  These  things  are  good  and  profitable  unto 
men"  (2:  14;  3:  8).  So,  also,  this  is  the  order  of 
truth  in  the  great  doctrinal  Epistles.  The  work  of 
God  for  man  is  first  stated.  After  this,  and  growing 
out  of  this,  is  a  new  obligation  which  is  the  appeal  for 
the  faithful  work  of  man  for  God.  It  is  the  reason- 
able demand  for  a  life  corresponding  to  the  transfor- 
mation which  God  hath  already  wrought  in  the 
believer  through  His  saving  grace. 

"Which  God  hath  before  ordained  that  we  should 
walk  in  them." 

This  phrase  limits  and  qualifies  the  exact  scope 
of  the  "good  works"  which  form  the  new  obligation 
of  the  one  who  is  "created  in  Christ  Jesus."  These 
works  are  particular  and  definite.  They  are  none 
other  than  those  good  works  which  have  been  before 
ordained  for  each  believer.  Such  "good  works" 
can  be  discovered  and  realized  only  as  the  life  is 
wholly  yielded  to  the  will  of  God. 

Three  revelations  concerning  the  place  and  value 
of  human  works  in  relation  to  salvation  should  be 
distinguished : 

1.     Works  as  required  under  the  Law. 

In  all  this  body  of  Truth,  human  works  are  set 
forth  as  being  meritorious.  It  was  because  of  human 
works  that  divine  ttfessings  were  bestowed.  This 
was  an  essential  characteristic  of  law-relationships 
to  God,  and  it  is  the  exact  opposite  of  grace-rela- 


26  Grace 

tionships.  Under  grace,  it  is  because  of  divine  bless- 
ings that  human  works  are  wrought.  The  law  was 
exactly  and  appropriately  applied  by  Christ  to  the 
lawyer  when  He  said:  "This  do  and  thou  shalt 
live"  (Lk.  10 :  28.  Cf  Mt.  22 :  34-40 ;  Mk.  12 :  28-34. 
See,  also  Mt.  19:16-26;  Mk.  10:17-30;  Lk.  18:18- 
30). 

2.  Works  as  the  proper  test  of  saving  faith. 
This  aspect  of  truth  is  taught  by  James  (2 : 14-26). 

In  this  Scripture  it  is  declared  that  true  salvation 
will  be  manifested  outwardly  by  good  works.  This 
should  be  expected  when  salvation  is  said  to  be  "  unto 
good  works."  Such  good  works  will  serve  to  justify 
the  saved  one  in  the  eyes  of  the  world.  This  is  but 
the  counterpart  of  the  more  fundamental  doctrine 
that  justification  before  God  is  by  faith  alone  (Rom. 
5:1).  An  important  exception  to  all  this  is  the 
fact  that  a  saint  may,  for  a  time,  be  walking  "in 
darkness."  At  such  a  time  there  will  be  abnormal 
results  in  his  life  before  God  and  before  the  world. 

3.  Works  as  indicative  of  the  attitude  of  heart 
toward  the  grace  of  God. 

Works  which  are  impelled  by  the  consciousness 
of  a  right  relation  to  God  through  His  grace,  are 
treated  as  works  of  obedience  and  unto  life  eternal; 
while  works  of  any  character  which  are  wrought 
apart  from  saving  faith  are  treated  as  works  of  dis- 
obedience unto  indignation  and  wrath  (Rom.  2:1- 
16).  One  manner  of  life  represents  the  obedience 
of  faith ;  the  other  manner  of  life  represents  the  dis- 
obedience of  unbelief.  >u '• 


Salvation  by  Grace  27 

The  first  purpose  of  God  in  saving  men  to  be 
mentioned,  and  which  seems  to  be  least,  is,  then,  the 
good  works  which  are  made  possible  only  through  the 
salvation  that  is  wrought  by  His  power  and  grace. 
If  this  revelation  concerning  our  salvation  "unto 
good  works"  stood  alone, — which,  alas,  it  too  often 
is  supposed  to  do, — the  work  of  God  for  man  would 
be  greatly  limited  and  misrepresented.  Under  a  sol- 
itary emphasis  on  this  aspect  of  the  divine  purpose 
in  the  salvation  of  men,  God  is  made  to  appear  as  a 
heartless  taskmaster  directing  infinite  undertakings 
and  interested  in  humanity  only  to  the  extent  of  the 
service  that  He  can  derive  from  man.  And,  should 
their  productiveness  cease  through  age  or  weakness, 
they  inevitably  must  be  thrown  into  the  refuse. 
Happily  this  divine  motive  in  the  salvation  of  men 
does  not  stand  alone. 

Second.  Men  are  Said  to  be  Saved  Because  of  the 
Benefits  which  Accrue  to  Them. 

This  motive  is  stated  in  John  3 : 16 :  ' '  For  God  so 
loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son, 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life."  By  this  Scripture,  God 
is  said  to  be  moved  in  man's  salvation  because  of  two 
priceless  blessings  which  will  thus  be  bestowed  on  the 
one  who  believes:  (1)  That  he  "should  not  perish" 
and  (2)  that  he  should  "have  everlasting  life." 

This  divine  motive  would  seem  all-sufficient,  and 
it  is,  again,  and  too  often,  the  only  motive  which  is 
considered  by  many.  Individual  salvation  with  its 
personal  benefits  is  now  challenged  by  some  writers 
and  teachers  as  being  selfish  and  narrow.  This  chal- 


28  Grace 

lenge  is  both  unwarranted  and  wicked.  Salvation 
must  be  individual  by  its  very  nature,  and  the  eternal 
benefits  to  the  individual  who  receives  the  gift  and 
grace  of  God  are  beyond  comprehension.  These  per- 
sonal benefits  are  the  expression  of  the  very  essence 
of  the  love  and  favor  of  God.  To  challenge  them  is 
no  less  a  sin  than  to  discredit  the  wisdom  and  good- 
ness of  God.  The  Scriptural  safeguard  against  an 
over-emphasis  on  the  human  advantage  and  benefit 
in  salvation  does  not  consist  in  discrediting  the  tre- 
mendous revelations  regarding  individual  salvation; 
it  consists  rather,  in  the  exposition  of  the  just  balance 
of  truth  which  is  gained  from  the  added  revelation 
concerning  the  third  and  far  greater  motive  in  the 
salvation  of  men,  to  wit : 

Third.  Men  are  Said  to  be  Saved  for  the  Mani- 
festation of  Divine  Grace. 

The  final  and  supreme  motive  of  God  in  the  salva- 
tion of  men  is  declared  in  Eph.  2:7:  "  That  in  the 
ages  to  come  he  might  shew  the  exceeding  riches  of 
his  grace  in  his  kindness  toward  us  through  Christ 
Jesus. ' ' 

Accompanying  this  declaration  of  the  supreme  pur- 
pose of  God,  a  statement  is  made  concerning  the  sav- 
ing work  of  God  for  the  individual.  By  this  saving 
work,  men  are  "made  alive"  who  were  "dead  in  tres- 
passes and  sins,"  and  are  "raised"  and  made  to 
"sit  together  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus," 
who  were  "without  Christ  .  .  .  having  no  hope,  and 
without  God  in  the  world."  By  these  two  revela- 
tions regarding  the  present  estate  of  the  saved,  two 


Salvation  by  Grace  29 

essential  aspects  of  the  divine  undertaking  in  man's 
salvation  are  disclosed:  (1)  That  which  is  wrought 
in  man, — represented  by  the  gift  of  eternal  life,  and 
(2)  that  which  is  wrought  for  man,  even  the  eternal 
positions  in  Christ, — represented  by  the  fact  that 
an  individual  being  saved,  is  now  seated  in  the 
heavenly  in  Christ  Jesus. 

What,  then,  is  the  supreme  motive  in  the  salvation 
of  men?  The  answer  is  clear:  "That  in  the  ages 
to  come  he  might  shew  the  exceeding  riches  of  his 
grace  in  [by  means  of]  his  kindness  [that  gracious, 
saving  thing  he  does]  toward  us  through  Christ 
Jesus."  God's  supreme  motive  is  nothing  less  than 
His  purpose  to  demonstrate  before  all  intelligences, — 
principalities  and  powers,  celestial  beings,  and  ter- 
restial  beings,— the  exceeding  riches  of  His  grace. 
This  God  will  do  by  means  of  that  gracious  thing 
which  He  does  through  Christ  Jesus.  All  intelli- 
gences will  know  the  depth  of  sin  and  the  hopeless 
estate  of  the  lost.  They  will,  in  turn,  behold  men 
redeemed  and  saved  from  that  estate  appearing  in  the 
highest  glory, — like  Christ.  This  transformation 
will  measure  and  demonstrate  the  "exceeding  riches 
of  his  grace." 

The  supreme  purpose  of  God  is  to  be  realized 
through  the  salvation  of  men  by  grace  alone.  So 
fully  does  that  supreme  purpose  now  dominate  the 
divine  undertakings  in  the  universe  that  everything 
in  heaven  and  in  the  earth  is  contributing  solely  to 
the  one  end.  To  gain  the  realization  of  this  supreme 
purpose,  this  age,  which  continues  from  the  death  of 
Christ  to  His  coming  again,  was  ushered  in.  These 


30  Grace 

long  centuries  of  human  struggle  were  decreed  for 
this  one  purpose.  No  vision  which  is  less  than  this 
will  prove  sufficient.  Men  with  blinded  eyes  do  not 
see  afar  off.  To  such  the  world  is  moving  on  by  mere 
chance,  or  to  the  supposed  consummation  of  some 
human  glory  in  the  earth.  Eyes  thus  blinded  see 
naught  of  the  glory  of  heaven;  minds  thus  darkened 
understand  nothing  of  the  supreme  purpose  of  God  in 
the  demonstration  of  the  exceeding  riches  of  His 
grace.  But,  when  this  age  is  consummated  it  will 
be  clearly  seen  by  all  beings  in  heaven  and  in  the 
earth  that  these  centuries  of  the  on-moving  universe 
have  been  designed  for  no  other  reason  than  the 
realization  of  the  supreme  purpose  of  God  in  the  sal- 
vation of  men  by  grace  alone.  The  out-calling  of 
the  "church  which  is  his  body"  from  both  Jews  and 
Gentiles  is  the;  out-working  of  Gdd's  purpose  to 
gather  into  one  heavenly  company  all  the  redeemed 
of  this  age.  The  supreme  purpose  is  realized  in  their 
salvation  and  this  design  was  the  "mystery,"  or 
sacred  secret,  which  was  hid  in  other  ages,  but  which 
is  now  revealed  to  "holy  apostles  and  prophets"  of 
this  dispensation.  The  ministry  entrusted  to  the 
Apostle  Paul  was,  "To  make  all  men  see  what  is  the 
fellowship  of  the  mystery,  which  from  the  beginning 
of  the  world  hath  been  hid  in  God,  who  created  all 
things  by  Jesus  Christ :  to  the  intent  that  now  unto 
the  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly  places 
might  be  known  by  the  church  the  manifold  wisdom 
of  God,  according  to  the  eternal  purpose  which  he 
purposed  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord"  (Eph.  3:9-11). 
Israel  must  remain  blinded  until  this  purpose  is 
realized  (Rom.  11:25),  and  the  mystery  of  iniquity 


Salvation  by  Grace  31 

must  work  until  this  heavenly  company  is  saved  and 
taken  away  with  the  removal  of  the  restraining 
Spirit  of  God  (2  Thes.  2:7). 

It  may  be  added,  as  well,  that  the  other  divine 
motives  in  the  salvation  of  men,  already  mentioned, 
only  contribute  to  the  realization  of  the  one  supreme 
motive.  The  "good  works"  of  those  who  are  saved 
are  the  "effectual  working"  of  every  part  of  the 
body  making  "increase  of  the  body"  (Eph.  4:16), 
and  the  results  of  that  saving  grace  which  is  exercised 
toward  the  sinner — that  he  should  not  perish  but 
have  everlasting  life — are  only  to  the  end  that  all  of 
the  saved  ones  together  may  demonstrate  in  the  ages 
to  come  the  exceeding  riches  of  His  grace. 

And,  again,  the  purpose  of  God,  which  is  to  shew 
the  exceeding  riches  of  His  grace,  reaches  beyond  the 
boundaries  of  this  age  and  is  the  supreme  divine  pur- 
pose in  the  whole  creation,  preservation,  and  consum- 
mation of  the  universe.  Christ  is  declared  to  be  the 
cause,  center,  purpose  and  benefactor  of  all  creation. 
"All  things  are  created  by  him,  and  for  him:  and 
he  is  before  all  things,  and  by  him  all  thing  consist" 
(Col.  1:  16,  17),  but  the  important  aspect  of  all  sal- 
vation centers  in  the  fact  that  "through  the  blood  of 
his  cross"  He  is  to  reconcile  all  things  unto  Himself. 
"And  you,  that  were  sometimes  alienated  and  ene- 
mies in  your  mind  by  wicked  works,  yet  now  hath  he 
reconciled  in  the  body  of  his  flesh  through  death" 
(Col.  1:21,  22).  Of  all  the  aspects  of  His  eternal 
Person,  the  emphasis  falls  on  the  fact  that,  He 
was  a  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 
Even  those  who  are  redeemed  by  His  precious  blood 
and  who  are  the  outshining  manifestation  of  the 


32  Grace 

grace  of  God,  were  chosen  in  Him  "before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world";  moreover,  the  "good  works"  of 
those  who  are  saved,  which  are  unto  the  proclamation 
of  the  Gospel  of  His  saving  grace,  were  "before  or- 
dained" that  they  should  walk  in  them.  So,  like- 
wise, sweeping  on  into  the  ages  to  come,  we  are  told 
that  of  all  the  glories  that  will  belong  to  the  Lord  of 
Glory,  that  glory  which  was  given  unto  Him  because 
of  His  redeeming  love  will  be  all-surpassing:  "Who, 
being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to 
be  equal  with  God:  but  made  himself  of  no  reputa- 
tion, and  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and 
was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men:  and  being  found 
in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  and  became 
obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  crdes. 
Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  aim 
given  him  a  name  which  is  above  every  name:  that 
at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of 
things  in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and  things 
under  the  earth;  and  that  every  tongue  should  con- 
fess that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father"  (Phil.  2:6-11).  It  is  declared  of  Him 
that  He  is  "appointed  heir  of  all  things";  by  Him 
the  ages  were  programmed;  He  is  the  brightness  of 
the  Father's  glory,  and  the  express  Image  of  His 
Person;  and  he  upholdeth  all  things  by  the  word  of 
His  power.  But  to  what  purpose  is  this  marvelous 
unfolding  of  His  eternal  Being  if  it  is  not  to  relate 
His  Deity  to  His  present  saving  grace ;  to  accomplish 
which,  it  is  stated,  He,  having  "by  himself  purged 
our  sins,  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty 
on  high"  (Heb.  1:2,  3)  ?  Thus  absolutely  does  the 
whole  universe  throughout  the  program  of  the  ages 


Salvation  by  Grace 


33 


center  about  the  sacrificial  death,  of  the  Son  of  God, 
by  whom  that  heavenly  company  are  to  be  redeemed, 
purified,  transformed,  and  translated  into  the  eternal 
manifestation  of  the  riches  of  grace. 

The  complete  manifestation  of  divine  grace  which 
is  to  be  revealed  in  the  glory  will  be  by  means  of  all 
that  combines  in  Christ — the  Glorious  Head,  together 
with  His  redeemed  Body,  every  member  of  which 
will  have  been  transformed  into  His  very  image. 
What  a  spectacle  for  angels  and  archangels,  prin- 
cipalities and  powers,  mankind  and  demons!  Yea, 
what  a  spectacle  for  God  Himself;  for  He  will  then 
gaze  on  that  surpassing  manifestation  of  His  grace 
to  His  own  "exceeding  joy"  (Jude  24) ! 

Divine  grace  could  have  had  no  place  in  this  uni- 
verse until  sin  had  entered.  Through  creation,  the 
wisdom  and  power  of  God  had  been  disclosed;  but 
there  had  been  no  unveiling  of  God's  love  for  the  un- 
deserving, since  there  had  been  no  occasion  for  its 
manifestation.  This  statement  does  not  imply  that 
we  are  to  sin  that  grace  may  abound.  There  is  a  wide 
difference  between  the  fact  that  God  permitted,  sin  to 
enter  the  world,  and  the  thought  that  thereby  God  li- 
censes man  to  sin.  Whether  there  have  been  greater 
motives  which  have  actuated  God  in  permitting  sin  to 
enter  the  world  than  He  has  revealed,  none  can  say. 
It  is  certain,  however,  that  the  greatest  motive  that  He 
has  been  pleased  to  reveal  is  to  be  inferred  from  the 
fact  that  grace  cannot  be  exercised  where  there  is 
no  demerit,  and  that  He  designs  above  all  else  that 
His  saving  grace  shall  have  an  actual  and  adequate 
demonstration  in  all  the  ages  to  come.  How  could 
it  be  otherwise?  What  poverty  of  experience  would 


34  Grace 

reign  in  a  universe  that  had  never  dreamed  of  true 
heart-compassion,  the  incomparable  joy  of  forgiving 
and  being  forgiven,  or  that  never  would  have  heard 
the  victory  song  of  the  redeemed !  A  universe  which 
otherwise  would  have  been,  with  all  its  magnificence 
of  celestial  glory,  as  cold,  unyielding,  and  unap- 
proachable as  the  law  of  infinite  righteousness  itself, 
has  been  colored  and  warmed  by  the  penitent's  tears, 
and  by  the  unveiling  of  the  unfathomable  grace  of 
God  toward  the  sinful.  Highest  of  all  revealed 
glories, — and  who  can  measure  its  relative  import  ? — , 
the  boundless  grace  of  God  is  being  manifested 
through  the  salvation  of  sinners.  Such  is  the  spec- 
tacle concerning  which  angelic  hosts  and  human 
throngs  will  marvel,  and  about  which  they  will  sing 
throughout  the  ages  of  the  ages  to  come. 

Returning  to  Eph.  3 :  8-11  we  read  that  the  Apostle 
Paul  was  sent  to  preach  the  "unsearchable  riches 
of  Christ."  Such  riches  could  be  brought  to  light 
only  by  means  of  the  fact  of  sin  and  its  cure  through 
the  cross  of  Christ.  The  Apostle  was  also  sent  "to 
make  all  men  see  what  is  the  fellowship  of  the  mystery 
[sacred  secret],  which  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world  hath  been  hid  in  God,  who  created  all  things 
by  Jesus  Christ."  This  sacred  secret  is,  according 
to  the  preceding  context,  the  calling  out  and  saving 
in  this  age  of  a  company  from  both  Jews  and  Gentiles, 
which  "company  is  the  true  "church  which  is  his 
body."  By  the  salvation  of  these,  He  purposes  to 
unveil  before  all  heavenly  hosts  His  greatest  dis- 
play of  wisdom  as  it  is  seen  in  the  manifestation 
of  His  bosom  of  love  through  the  coming  of  Christ 


Salvation  by  Grace  35 

into  the  world  to  redeem  the  lost.  For  we  read: 
"To  the  intent  that  now  unto  the  principalities  and 
powers  in  heavenly  places  might  be  known  by  the 
church  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God,  according  to  the 
eternal  purpose  which  he  purposed  in  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord." 

At  no  point  can  tolerance  be  given  to  the  theory 
that  the  Innocent  Man  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  was 
God's  first  and  highest  ideal,  that  sin  entered  in 
spite  of  God,  and  that  redemption  is  an  after-thought 
— the  best  available  remedy  in  view  of  the  wreckage 
of  sin.  It  is  a  redeemed  sinner  who  takes  the  highest 
place  in  glory.  This  redemption  was  in  view  before 
all  creation.  The  finite  mind  is  soon  overwhelmed 

•v>^MITHB*<"~~"* 

in  the  contemplation  of  the  eternal  facts  and  pur- 
poses of  God;  but  there  is  much  that  we  may  under- 
stand when  we  read,  first,  concerning  the  coming  of 
Christ  into  the  world  to  redeem  by  His  precious 
blood:  "Who  verily  was  foreordained  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world,  but  was  manifest  in  these 
last  times  for  you"  (1  Pet.  1:20);  "The  Lamb 
slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world"  (Rev.  13 :  8)  ; 
and,  ' '  Him,  being  delivered  by  the  determinate  coun- 
sel and  foreknowledge  of  God,  ye  have  taken,  and 
by  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and  slain"  (Acts 
2:23).  And,  second,  when  we  read  concerning  the 
eternal  purpose  of  God  in  the  saved:  "Elect  ac- 
cording to  the  foreknowledge  of  God  the  Father" 
(1  Pet.  1:2),  and,  again,  "For  whom  he  did  fore- 
know, he  also  did  predestinate  to  be  conformed  to 
the  image  of  his  Son,  that  he  might  be  the  firstborn 
among  many  brethren.  Moreover  whom  he  did  pre- 


36  Grace 

destinate,  them  he  also  called:  and  whom  he  called, 
them  he  also  justified :  and  whom  he  justified,  them 
he  also  glorified"  (Rom.  8 :  29,  30). 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  the  supreme  motive  of 
God  in  the  creation,  preservation,  and  consummation 
of  the  universe,  in  the  permission  of  evil  to  enter  the 
world,  and  in  the  mighty  undertakings  of  salvation 
as  it  is  now  offered  to  sinful  men  through  the  death 
and  resurrection  of  Christ,  is  that  His  "riches  of 
grace"  may  be  disclosed  to  all  intelligences  within 
the  whole  scope  of  creation. 

If  the  supreme  motive  of  God  is  to  reveal  His  grace, 
then  salvation  must  be  by  grace  alone,  or  the  eternal 
purpose  of  God  must  fail.  Hence  we  read:  "For 
by  grace  are  ye  saved  through  faith ;  and  that  not  of 
yourselves:  it  is  the  gift  of  God:  not  of  works,  lest 
any  man  should  boast.  For  we  are  his  workmanship, 
created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,  which  God 
hath  before  ordained  that  we  should  walk  in  them" 
2:8-10) ;  "Now  to  him  that  worketh  is  the 


reward  not  reckoned  of  grace,  but  of  debt.  But  to 
him  that  worketh  not,  but  believeth  on  him  that  jus- 
tifieth  the  ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for  righteous- 
ness" (Rom.  4:4,  5);  "And  if  by  grace,  then  it 
is  no  more  of  works :  otherwise  grace  is  no  more  grace. 
But  if  it  be  of  works,  then  is  it  no  more  grace :  other- 
wise work  is  no  more  work"  (Rom.  11:6);  "But 
we  believe  that  that  through  the  grace  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  we  shall  be  saved"  (Acts  15:11).  On 
no  other  basis  can  grace  be  manifested  than  by  salva- 
tion which  is  wholly  unrelated  to  human  merit  or 
works. 


Salvation  by  Grace  37 


H.  THREE  PRINCIPLES  WHICH  CANNOT  CO-EXIST 
WITH  GRACE. 

It  has  been  shown  that  the  three  essential  prin- 
ciples which  antagonize  and  if  permitted  would  frus- 
trate the  principle  of  pure  grace  are  set  aside  in 
this  age  for  the  sole  purpose  that  grace  may  prevail 
uncomplicated  and  uncompromised.  The  divine  an- 
nulling of  every  opposing  principle  to  pure  grace 
is  not  only  natural,  but  necessary,  if  the  supreme 
divine  purpose  of  this  age  is  the  manifestation  of 
grace  and  that  purpose  is  to  be  realized.  The  three 
essential  principles  already  mentioned  and  which  can 
never  co-exist  with  pure  grace  are : 

First.    Any  Recognition  of  Human  Guilt. 

God  must  be  free  to  exercise  grace  without  the 
slightest  limitation  because  of  human  demerit  and 
sin ;  for  grace  would  no  longer  be  grace  if  its  benefits 
are  withheld  from  the  sinner  in  the  least  degree  be- 
cause of  sin.  Grace  can  only  be  exercised  where  every 
question  of  unworthiness  has  been  banished  forever. 
This  God  has  accomplished  in  the  cross,  and  for  the 
purpose  that  His  supreme  manifestation  of  grace  may 
be  realized  unto  infinite  perfection.  The  Lamb  of 
God  has  taken  away  the  sin  of  the  world,  and  God 
lias  laid  on  Him  the  iniquity  of  us  all.  By  these  and 
many  other  Scriptures  it  is  revealed  that  the  grace- 
opposing  principle  of  sin  and  demerit  has  been  re- 
moved from  before  the  eyes  of  God  for  all  men. 
Thus,  and  only  thus,  could  divine  grace  be  exercised 
toward  all  men.  But  since  God  through  the  death 


38  Grace 

of  Christ  has,  in  the  absolute  sense,  dealt  with  the 
sin  of  the  whole  world,  He  is  now  free  by  the  exer- 
cise of  grace,  in  the  absolute  sense,  to  lavish  its  riches 
upon  the  chief  of  sinners  without  reservation  or  dimi- 
nution. Divine  grace  thus  awaits  on.  divine  justice ; 
for  only  as  the  last  demand  of  infinite  righteousness 
against  sin  has  been  paid  can  divine  grace  be  exer- 
cised. There  can  be  no  admixture  of  these  principles 
wherein  divine  justice  is  partly  satisfied  and  to  such 
an  extent  God  is  partly  free  to  act  in  grace.  Every 
vestige  of  demerit  must  be  removed  before  God  can 
exercise  grace.  This  vital  truth  about  grace  cannot 
be  too  strongly  emphasized.  The  operations  of  di- 
vine grace  can  never  overlap  or  share  in  any  aspect 
of  the  operations  of  divine  justice ;  but  when  divine 
justice  has  finished  its  work  and  abandoned  the  field 
forever,  divine  grace  is  free  to  occupy  the  field  alone 
in  the  full  blaze  of  its  infinite  glory. 

Thus  grace  now  " reigns  through  righteousness"; 
but  it  is  grace  alone  that  reigns.  A  righteous  throne 
of  awful  justice,  wrath,  and  blasting  judgments  has 
become  "a  throne  of  grace."  Such  is  the  marvel  of 
God's  infinite  favor.  Such  is  the  good  news  which 
is  to  be  proclaimed  to  a  ruined  world ;  for  it  is  grace 
alone  that  is  now  offered  to  hell-deserving  sinners. 
Only  by  the  absolute  removal  of  the  condemnation  of 
all  sin  could  the  way  be  made  clear  for  the  absolute 
manifestation  of  the  grace  of  God. 

Second.    Any  Recognition  of  Human  Obligation. 

No  more  can  grace  remain  grace,  if  by  its  benefits 
there  is  created  and  imposed  the  slightest  obligation 
for  payment  or  remuneration.  Grace  is  unrecom- 


Salvation  by  Grace  39 

pensed  favor.  Its  riches  must  be  bestowed  and  re- 
ceived only  on  the  ground  that  it  is  an  uncomplicated 
gift.  "I  give  unto  them  eternal  life,"  and  "The  gift 
of  God  is  eternal  life  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord" 
(John  10:28;  Rom.  6:23). 

In  order  that  the  field  might  be  absolutely  clear 
for  the  manifestation  of  uncomplicated  divine  grace, 
God  has  perfectly  eliminated  every  work  of  man — 
past,  present,  and  future — from  the  terms  of  salva- 
tion by  grace:  "not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should 
boast";  and,  "if  by  grace,  it  is  no  more  works"; 
' '  Now  to  him  that  worketh  is  the  reward  not  reckoned 
of  grace,  but  of  debt.  But  to  him  that  worketh  not, 
but  believeth  on  him  that  justifieth  the  ungodly,  his 
faith  is  counted  [reckoned]  for  righteousness"; 
"Not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have  done, 
but  according  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us."  Man  must 
take  salvation  as  a  gift.  He  need  only  believe  in 
order  to  be  saved.  The  complete  setting  aside  of 
human  obligation  as  payment  for  divine  blessings  is 
the  only  ground  upon  which  God  can  be  free  to  act 
in  unlimited  divine  grace  toward  sinners;  but  every 
human  work  and  obligation  is  now  set  aside,  and 
pure  grace  is  oifered  to  all  men  in  the  Gospel  of  the 
grace  of  God. 

Third.    Any  Recognition  of  Human  Merit. 

This  third  opposing  principle  to  divine  grace  has 
been  disannulled  by  the  fact  that  humanity  is  now 
stripped  of  every  conceivable  merit  before  God.  As 
has  been  stated,  revelation  concerning  the  present  re- 
lation of  fallen  man  to  God  goes  far  beyond  a  dis- 
closure of  the  fact  that  man  is  a  sinner  both  by 


4O  Grace 

nature  and  by  practice.  This  of  itself  would  be  a 
sufficient  cause  for  condemnation;  but,  beyond  all 
this,  God  has  now  pronounced  an  all-inclusive, 
judicial,  condemning  sentence  on  the  whole  race, 
both  Jew  and  Gentile.  By  this  universal  sentence 
every  individual  has  been  reduced  to  the  lowest  level, 
so  far  as  human  merit  before  God  is  concerned.  In 
the  affairs  of  men,  there  is  a  legitimate  field  in 
which  they  may  compare  themselves  one  with  another 
as  to  relative  moral  character  and  action;  but  such 
comparison  is  now  completely  eliminated  from  all 
divine  estimations  of  unregenerate  men.  This  im- 
portant fact  is  one  of  the  characterizing  features  of 
this  age  and  forms  an  essential  factor  in  the  present 
supreme  purpose  of  God  in  which  He  purposes  to 
manifest  His  grace.  Apart  from  this  judicial  sen- 
tence against  all  men,  the  grace  of  God  could  never 
be  manifested.  The  following  Scriptures  disclose 
this  present  universal  decree  of  divine  judgment 
against  all  men,  and  in  considering  them  it  is  im- 
portant to  note  that  this  universal  judgment  is 
not  a  mere  estimation  of  the  various  degrees  of 
human  guilt;  it  is  an  arbitrary  leveling  of  every 
human  being  to  a  basis  which  is  absolutely  without 
merit  or  standing  before  God. 

"For  we  have  before  proved  both  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles, that  they  are  all  under  sin"  (Rom.  3:9); 
"But  the  scripture  hath  concluded  all  under  sin,  that 
the  promise  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  might  be  given 
to  them  that  believe"  (Gal.  3:22) ;  "For  God  hath 
concluded  them  all  [Jew  and  Gentile]  in  unbelief 
[disobedience,]  that  he  might  have  mercy  upon  all" 
(Rom.  11:  32) ;  "That  every  mouth  may  be  stopped, 


Salvation  by  Grace  41 

and  all  the  world  may  become  guilty  before  God" 
(Rom.  3: 19).     It  is  true  that  "all  have  sinned,  and     >* 
come  short  of  the  glory  of  God,"  which  indicates 
that  man  is  a  sinner  by  practice;  but  it  is  a  far  ' 
deeper  revelation  that  all,  by  judicial  sentence,  are 
under  "sin"  and  "unbelief"  and  are  all  now  equally 
"U <i Hty"  before  God. 

In  exact,  agreement  with  the  present  universal 
leveling  of  all  humanity  to  the  place  of  supreme 
and  unconditioned  condemnation  is  the  equally  im- 
portant revelation  that,  through  the  substitutionary 
death  of  Christ  for  all  men  as  Sin-Bearer  (John  1 :  29 ; 
2  Cor.  5:14,  19),  the  ground  of  universal  divine 
condemnation  is  no  longer  the  sins  which  men  have 
committed  and  which  Christ  has  borne;  but  rather 
the  condemnation  is  now  because  of  the  personal 
rejection  of  the  Saviour  who  bore  the  sin.1  This  is 
set  forth  in  His  Word :  ' '  He  that  believeth  on  him  is 
not  condemned:  but  he  that  believeth  not  is  con- 
demned already,  because  he  hath  not  believed  in  the 
name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God"  (John  3: 18) ; 

i  Should  question  be  raised  at  this  point  as  to  the  fact 
that  a  vast  portion  of  humanity  have  not  actually  rejected 
a  Saviour  since  they  have  had  no  knowledge  of  the  Gospel, 
it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  two  divine  provisions  have 
been  determined  for  this  age,  and  they  are  interdependent: 
(1)  God  has  commissioned  that  the  Gospel  of  His  grace  shall 
be  preached  to  every  creature,  and,  (2)  every  creature  will 
stand  or  fall,  according  to  his  personal  attitude  toward  this 
Gospel  of  saving  grace.  The  fact  that  the  messengers  have 
failed  to  bear  the  message  to  every  creature  has  created 
a  situation  in  the  world  about  which  the  divine  provisions 
are  not  revealed;  nor  could  they  be  revealed  reasonably. 
The  essential  age-characterizing  fact  must  stand, — God  holds 
men  as  condemned,  or  not  condemned,  on  the  sole  basis  of  a 
personal  rejection,  or  acceptance,  of  all  that  is  revealed  in 
the  Gospel  of  His  grace. 


42  Grace 

"But  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned"  (Mark 
16:16).  In  confirmation  of  the  fact  that  men  are 
now  condemned  because  of  unbelief,  it  should  be 
noted  that  when  the  Spirit  of  God  approaches  the 
unsaved  to  convince  them  of  sin,  He  does  not  shame 
them,  or  blame  them,  concerning  the  sins  they  have 
committed ;  He  rather  convicts  them  of  one  sin  only : 
"Of  sin,  because  they  believe  not  on  me"  (John 
16:  9).  So,  also,  Christians  are  said  to  be  free  from 
all  condemnation  of  the  sole  ground  that  they  have 
'believed  on  the  Saviour:  "He  that  believeth  on  him 
is  not  condemned"  (John  3:18.  Cf  5:24;  Rom. 
8:1;1  Cor.  11:  32;  2  Cor.  5:19). 

The  conclusion  to  be  derived  from  this  investiga- 
tion into  the  present  standing  of  man  before  God 
is  that  he  is  universally  "condemned,"  "under  sin," 
and  reckoned  to  be  in  "unbelief."  This  divine 
decree  permits  of  no  variations  or  gradations.  It 
represents  the  very  lowest  level  of  standing  before 
God  to  which  it  is  possible  for  any  human  being  to 
descend,  and  all  unregenerate  men  are  now  placed  on 
that  level. 

At  this  point  God  offers  but  one  remedy.  That 
remedy  is  GRACE.  By  the  complete  removal  of  all 
consideration  of  human  merit,  God  is  now  uncon- 
ditionally free  to  act  in  grace  in  behalf  of  man.  On 
no  other  ground  could  grace  be  exercised.  Hence 
all  preaching  of  law-observance,  or  moral  reform, 
to  linregenerate  men  is  unwarranted,  misleading, 
and  is  contrary  to  the  essential  fact  of  divine  grace ; 
for  no  moral  appeal,  or  appeal  to  human  works, 
can  be  made  apart  from  the  assumption  that,  should 
unregenerate  people  comply  with  such  appeals,  they 


: 


Salvation  by  Grace  43 

would  not  be  discredited  to  the  same  extent  before 
God  as  they  would  otherwise  be.1 

In  this  dispensation  there  is  no  middle  ground  for 
half -good  people.  Men  are  either  utterly  condemned 
under  the  universal  decree  of  the  Judge  of  all  the 
earth,  or  they  are  perfectly  saved  and  safe  in  the 
grace  of  God  as  it  is  in  Jesus  Christ. 

It  is  either  Christ  or  Hell. 

""     / 

The  divine  objective  in  reducing  humanity  to 
the  lowest  level  of  all  conceivable  grades  of  human 
standing  before  God  is  not  merely  to  give  adequate 
expression  to  His  hatred  of  evil:  it  is  the  expression 
of  His  infinite  goodness  and  love;  for  only  thus 
could  the  riches  of  His  grace  be  extended  to  them. 
He  has  reckoned  them  to  be  in  unbelief  "that  he 
might  have  mercy  [grace]  upon  all";  and  ''The 
scripture  hath  concluded  all  under  sin,  that  the 
promise  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  might  be  given  to 
them  that  believe."  Only  when  human  merit  has 
thus  been  removed  forever,  can  divine  grace  under- 
take its  saving  work. 

The  grace  of  God  which  is  offered  so  freely  to  the 
sinner  is  not  a  variable  quantity  which  might  be 
adapted  to  the  different  degrees  of  human  sinful- 
ness;  it  is  an  unchangeable  whole.  It  is  standard- 
ized and  cannot  be  increased  or  diminished.  It  is 
all  that  God  can  ever  do  for  the  sinner  in  time  or 
eternity.  It  is  as  infinite  as  He  is  infinite.  Such 
measureless  grace  is  now  freely  offered  to  the  sin- 
ner. He  has  but  to  receieve  Christ  in  whom  all 

iLet  it  be  restated  that  there  i8,  in  the  field  of  human 
government  and  social  order,  a  legitimate  recognition  of 
varying  degrees  of  moral  fitness;  but  these  find  no  place  as 
a  basis  of  divine  grace,  or  as  the  ground  of  salvation. 


44  Grace 

fulness  dwelfe.  Men  are  either  "under  sin,"  or 
"under  grace."  They  are,  in  the  most  unequivocal 
sense,  either  lost  or  saved. 

In  order  that  grace  might  be  measured  in  all  its 
limitless  riches  and  glory,  the  objects  of  that  grace 
are  lifted  from  the  lowest  level  of  human  standing 
before  God  to  the  highest  pinnacle  of  heavenly  glory. 
Everything  has  been  divinely  arranged  so  that  this 
transition  may  be  a  measurement  of  divine  grace. 
To  this  end  the  widest  extremes  that  are  possible  for 
God  to  decree  in  human  positions  have  been  deter- 
mined. Such  is  the  present  low  estate  of  the  lost 
under  the  universal  divine  decree,  and  such  will  be 
the  exalted  estate  of  the  saved  in  the  highest  glory 
when  grace  shall  have  completed  its  work.  Of  no 
archangel  has  the  Lord  prayed  as  He  has  prayed  for 
the  objects  of  His  grace:  "Father,  I  will  that  they 
also,  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me  where  I 
am;  that  they  may  behold  my  glory,  which  thou 
hast  given  me"  (John  17:24).  These  two  extremes, 
represented  by  the  present  estate  of  the  lost,  on  the 
one  hand,  and  the  coming  heavenly  glory  of  the 
saved  when  finally  transformed  into  the  very  image 
of  Christ,  on  the  other  hand,  are  the  boundaries 
which  measure  the  infinite  grace  of  God.  The  posi- 
tional transference  of  man  from  the  lowest  level 
that  divine  judgment  can  decree  to  the  highest  alti- 
tude of  heaven,  the  change  from  a  death-doomed,  hell- 
deserving  sinner  to  a  son  of  God  and  a  partaker  of 
the  eternal  glory,  are  demonstrations  of  the  measure- 
ment of  His  own  grace  which  God  has  decreed  and 
with  which  He  is  to  be  forever  satisfied. 


Salvation  by  Grace  45 

Since  God's  grace  is  to  be  manifested  in  glory,  it 
is  required  that  every  aspect  of  the  saving  trans- 
formation shall  be  wrought  in  grace  alone.  All  human 
merit  is  of  necessity  excluded.  So,  also,  since  the 
ultimate  estate  of  the  saved  in  glory  is  to  be  such 
that  they  will  then  be  "like  Christ"  and  "con- 
formed to  the  image"  of  God's  Son,  and  "faultless 
before  the  presence  of  his  glory,"  it  is  equally  de- 
manded that  this  divine  transformation  shall  be  free 
from  every  human  touch.  Such  measureless  results 
can  be  secured  and  guaranteed  only  as  the  work  of 
God  is  uncombined  with  any  human  work.  The  best 
human  work  could  but  mar  and  spoil  the  divine  ideal. 
Therefore  it  is  by  grace  that  ye  are  saved  through 
faith;  and  that  not  of  yourselves:  it  is  the  gift  of 
God:  not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast  (Eph. 
2:8,9). 

Having  in  the  most  absolute  sense  disposed  of  the 
three  grace-opposing  principles — human  sin,  human 
obligation,  and  human  merit, — God,  in  the  same  ab- 
solute sense,  is  now  free  to  lavish  His  undiminished 
grace  upon  whomsoever  He  will.  He  purposes  thus  to 
manifest  His  grace:  not  merely  as  a  selfish  gratifi- 
cation of  display  on  His  part ;  but  rather  as  a  satis- 
faction of  His  love  which  knows  no  bounds. 

Only  as  grace  is  seen  to  be  the  realization  of  the 
supreme  purpose  of  .God,  can  the  expressions  used  in 
the  Scriptures  concerning  the  outflow  of  that  grace 
be  understood.  The  resources  of  language  have 
been  exhausted  in  the  attempt  to  indicate  the  infinite 
grace  of  God  in  terms  of  human  speech.  Probably 
these  resources  of  language  have  been  more  exhausted 


46  Grace 

at  this  point  than  concerning  any  other  theme  of  the 
Word  of  God.  How  could  it  be  otherwise?  God 
through  grace  purposes  the  realization  of  the  great- 
est undertaking  and  accomplishment  in  all  the  uni- 
verse. The  following  Scriptures  unfold  the  limitless 
character  of  His  grace: 

"And  of  his  fulness  have  all  we  received,  and 
grace  for  [added  to,  or  heaped  upon]  grace"  (John 
1:16);  "Abundance  [superabundance]  of  grace" 
(Rom.  5:17);  "But  where  sin  abounded,  grace  did 
much  more  abound"  (superabound.  Rom.  5:20); 
"What  shall  we  say  then?  Shall  we  continue  in  sin, 
that  grace  may  abound?"  (superabound.  Rom.  6:1); 
"And  by  their  prayer  for  you,  which  long  after 
you  for  the  exceeding  [above  measure]  grace  of 
God  in  you"  (2  Cor.  9:14)  ;  "The  abundant  [more 
than  enough]  grace"  (2  Cor.  4:15). 

Grace  heaped  upon  grace,  superabounding,  and 
without  measure,  is  the  description  given  of  the  limit- 
less outflow  of  divine  favor.  The  grace  of  God  be- 
longs to  the  realm  of  the  infinite.  His  measureless 
love  and  goodness  are  released  from  every  restraint. 
They  are  unshackled  and  free.  The  supreme  divine 
objective  is  then,  that  infinite  love  may  manifest  it- 
self in  superabounding  grace.  His  love  is  knowledge- 
surpassing,  infinite,  and  eternal.  So,  also,  is  His 
grace. 

III.      THE  GRACIOUS  WORK  OF  GOD  FOR  MAN. 

The  uncomplicated  work  of  God  for  man,  which  is 
to  measure  His  grace,  is  presented  in  the  Word  of 
God  in  seven  major  aspects : 


Salvation  by  Grace  47 

First.     The  Finished  Work  of  Christ. 

This  is  no  less  than  the  combined  values  of  His 
redemption,  reconciliation,  and  propitiation,  as  these 
aspects  of  His  cross  are  related  to  the  whole  world 
lost  in  sin  (1  Tim.  2 :  6 ;  2  Cor.  5 : 19,  20 ;  1  John  2 : 1, 
2).  This  aspect  of  the  divine  work  is  forever 
"finished"  for  every  soul,  and  its  glorious  achieve-  . 
ment  is  the  good  news  of  the  Gospel  of  saving  grace. 

Second.     The  Convicting  Work  of  the  Spirit.    / 

By  this  work  of  God  the  Gospel  of  His  saving  grace 
is  revealed  to  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  unsaved  by 
the  Spirit  of  God.  He  convinces  of  sin,  of  right- 
eousness, and  of  judgment  (John  16 :  7-11).  Only  by 
this  illuminating  work  of  the  Spirit  can  the  Satan- 
blinded  mind  of  the  unsaved  (2  Cor.  4:3,  4)  under- 
stand the  way  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Third.    The  Saving  Work  of  God. 

This  divine  undertaking  includes  every  aspect  of 
the  work  of  God  that  is  accomplished  at  the  instant 
when  the  sinner  believes  on  Christ.  It  is  no  less  than 
many  transforming  miracles  which  are  wrought  in- 
stantaneously and  simultaneously  in  the  saving  power 
of  God. 

Fourth.    The  Keeping  Work  of  God. 

The  clear  Biblical  testimony  is  to  the  effect  that 
the  believer  is  kept  always  and  only  through  the  grace 
and  power  of  God.  Because  of  the  work  of  Christ  on 
the  cross,  God  is  presented  as  not  only  being  free  to 
save  meritless  sinners;  but  He  is  presented  as  being 


V 


48  Grace 

free  to  keep  those  whom  He  has  saved.  Under  legal 
relationships  men  endured  in  order  that  they  might 
be  saved  (Mt.  24:13).  Under  grace  relationships 
men  endure  because  they  are  saved  (John  10:28). 
God  alone  is  "able"  to  keep. 

Fifth.     The  Delivering  Work  of  God. 

The  Christian  who  is  perfectly  saved  from  the  guilt 
and  penalty  of  sin  needs  also  to  be  saved  from  the 
reigning  power  of  sin.  God  alone  can  save  in  any 
case,  and  therefore  deliverance  from  sin,  weakness  and 
failure  is  provided,  not  by  human  effort,  but  by  the 
power  of  the  indwelling  Spirit;  and  is  secured,  not 
on  the  principle  of  works,  but  on  the  principle  of 
faith.  "Walk  in  the  Spirit,  and  ye  shall  not  fulfil 
the  lust  of  the  flesh"  (Gal.  5 : 16).  Deliverance,  too, 
is  always  and  only  a  work  of  God. 

Sixth.     The  Work  of  God  in  Christian  Growth. 

Too  often  Christian  growth  is  confused  with  spirit- 
uality, or  deliverance  from  the  power  of  sin.  A  very 
immature  believer,  as  to  growth,  may  be  delivered 
and  be  in  the  full  blessing  of  the  Spirit.  He  has  yet 
much  to  learn  from  experience  and  from  the  Word  of 
God ;  but  this  need  not  limit  his  immediate  blessing  of 
heart  and  life.^,  In  fact  only  spiritual  Christians 
grow.  Carnality  in  life  means  perpetual  babyhood  in 
spirituality.  "But  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ"  (2  Pet. 
3 : 18)  ;  "But  we  all,  with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a 
glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same 
image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord"  (2  Cor.  3:18). 


Salvation  by  Grace  49 

V 

/   ^ 

Seventh.     The  Final  Presenting  Work  of  God. 

It  is  the  final  and  consummating  work  of  God  to 
present  the  believer  faultless  before  the  presence  of 
His  glory  to  His  own  exceeding  joy.  It  is  promised 
that  when  we  see  Him  we  shall  be  "like  him."  We 
shall  then  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  the  Son  of 
God. 

No  one  will  persuade  himself  that  he  will  assist 
in  this  final  transformation  and  translation.  No 
more  can  any  believer  assist  in  any  of  these  aspects 
of  the  work  of  God.  Salvation  is  the  work  of  God 
alone.  It  is  from  Him,  by  Him,  and  unto  Him.  In 
every  stage  of  the  development  it  is  the  work  of  God 
alone  which  can  avail,  and  that  work  is  now  provided 
and  offered  in  marvelous  grace.  Particular  em- 
phasis is  needed  at  this  point.  Salvation  is  of  God; 
and  man's  responsibility  is  only  that  of  being  a  re- 
cipient of  it.  Man  is  called  upon  to  make  only 
such  personal  adjustment  to  God  as  will  place  him  in 
the  normal  position  to  receive  the  divine  blessing. 
The  undertaking  is  of  such  a  character  that  man  can 
contribute  in  no  wise  to  its  accomplishment.  It  aims 
to  reproduce  the  very  perfection  of  Christ  Himself, 
which  perfection  would  be  ruined  could  man  touch 
it.  And  it  is  all  to  the  demonstration  of  the  grace  of 
God  in  the  ages  to  come  and  hence,  as  certainly, 
precludes  the  thought  of  any  complication  with  human 
merit,  else  the  greatest  motive  of  God  which  has  been 
working  from  before  the  foundation  of  the  world 
would  be  defeated, — a  contingency  impossible  in  the 
light  of  revelation. 

According  to  the  Scriptures,  the  human  element 


/ 


50  Grace 

is  never  included  beyond  the  essential  adjustment 
of  man  to  the  work  of  God.  This  human  responsi- 
bility is  always  expressed  in  terms  which  suggest 
that  man  is  the  recipient  of  the  benefits  of  the  work 
of  God.  Some  of  these  Bible  terms  are:  "Believe," 
"Receive,"  "Faith,"  "By  me  if  any  man  enter  in," 
"Come  unto  me,"  "Whosoever  will  may  come," 
"Whosoever  calleth,"  "Turned  to  God,"  being 
"Reconciled  to  God."  Thus  it  is  seen  that  man  is 
saved  from  the  guilt  and  penalty  of  sin,  not  by 
expiating  his  own  sins,  but  by  believing  in  the  One 
who  has  suffered  in  his  stead.  After  he  is  thus 
saved,  he  is  delivered  from  the  power  of  sin  in  his 
daily  life,  not  by  anxious  striving,  but  by  yielding 
and  by  relying  on  the  all-sufficient,  indwelling  Spirit. 
He  will  be  saved  from  the  presence  of  sin  into  the 
coming  glory  and  likeness  of  Christ,  not  by  any 
effort  or  human  device,  but  by  the  power  which 
wrought  in  Christ  to  raise  Him  from  the  dead,  and 
by  which  he  will  be  translated  instantly  from  the 
earth  to  heaven.  In  every  instance  the  divine  re- 
sponsibility is  seen  to  be  within  the  sphere  of  the 
actual  accomplishment  of  the  mighty  undertaking; 
but  man's  responsibility  is  in  the  sphere  of  the  re- 
ception of  that  work.  The  whole  transaction  is  free 
from  every  consideration  of  remuneration,  barter, 
or  trade.  It  is  the  love  of  God  expressing  itself  in 
His  gracious  work  for  those  who,  within  themselves, 
will  ever  be  hopelessly  undeserving  and  therefore 
eternally  debtors  to  infinite  grace. 

Salvation  is  the  imputed  righteousness  of  God  ;  it  is*; 
the  work  of  man  for  God. 

Salvation  is  the  bestowal  and  actual  impartation  of 


Salvation  by  Grace  51 

eternal  life ;  it  is  not  the  beauties  and  artifical  imita- 
tions of  ethical  living.  «^ 

Salvation  is  the  imputed  righteousness  of  God;  it 
is  not  the  imperfect  righteousness  of  man. 

Salvation  is  according  to  the  faithful  calling  of     /  7 
God;  it  is  not  according  to  the  fitful  carefulness  of   '    / 
man. 

Salvation  is  a  divine  reconciliation;  it  is  not  a 
human  regulation. 

Salvation  is  the  canceling  of  all  sin;  it  is  not  the 
cessation  from  some  sin. 

Salvation  is  being  delivered  from,  and  dead  to,  the 
law;  it  is  not  delighting  in,  or  doing,  the  law.  /  ,, 

Salvation  is  divine  regeneration ;  it  is  not  human    , ' 
reformation. 

Salvation  is  being  acceptable  to  God;  it  is  not  be-  ^j 
coming  exceptionally  good. 

Salvation  is  completeness  in  Christ ;  it  is  not  com-  / 
petency  in  character. 

Salvation  is  possessing  every  spiritual  blessing ;  it  j  I 
is  not  professing  any  special  betterment. 

Salvation  is  always  and  only  of  God.     It  is  never  of    /   j 
man.     It  is  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.     It  is 
unto  good  works  which  God  hath  before  ordained 
that  we  should  walk  in  them. 


IV.      THE  GRACE  OF  GOD  IS  SOVEREIGN. 

Not  every  member  of  the  human  family  will  be  in- 
cluded in  the  glorious,  grace-revealing  company  of 
the  redeemed  in  heaven.  Nothing  is  more  clearly 
taught  in  the  Scriptures  than  this;  but  the  salvation 
of  those  who  are  being  gathered  into  that  company, 


52  Grace 

it  is  revealed,  will  be  according  to  the  sovereign  pur- 
pose of  God,  and  not  according  to  any  merit  in  the 
individual.     There  are  two  fields  of  divine  under- 
taking wherein  the  work  of  God  stands  alone:    (1) 
The  creation  of  the  universe  and  (2)  the  redemption 
of  sinners.     Certain  aspects  of  work,  however,  are 
*~Y   entrusted  to  men.     They   are  appointed  to  preach, 
.     the  Gospel  to  the  lost,  to  edify  the  saints  by  teaching, 
•j^*  and  to  co-operate  in  the  gathering  and  care  of  the 

*O  assemblies  of  believers.  Yet  even  this  human  service 
is  impotent  apart  from  the  enabling  power  of  the 
Spirit  of  God. 

So,  also,  while  God  is  sovereign  in  the  salvation 
of  men,  He  has   allowed  sufficient  latitude  within  the 

(l     larger  circles  of  His  unalterable  purpose  for  the  ex- 

«-f  ercise  of  the/  human  will.  "Whosoever  will  may 
come."  This  is  the  invitation  to  the  unsaved.  Like- 
wise He  addresses  the  believer  concerning  the  possible 
blessings  of  a  Spirit-filled  life  by  such  words;  of 

'*4  human  responsibility  as  "yield,"  "reckon,"  and 
"confess."  It  is  equally  revealed  in  the  Scriptures 
that  such  action  of  the  human  will  is  never  apart 
from  the  divine  enablement.  God  must  move  the 
heart  of  the  unsaved:  "No  man  can  come  to  me, 
except  the  Father  which  hath  sent  me  draw  him" 
(John  6:  44).  He  must  move  the  heart  of  the  saved 
as  well:  "For  it  is  God  which  worketh  in  you  both 
to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure"  (Phil.  2 : 13). 
There  is  no  Biblical  ground  for  the  theory  that 
even  the  minutest  detail  of  the  eternal  purpose  of 
God  will  ever  be  uncertain  because  of  a  supposed  un- 
anticipated action  of  the  human  will.  God  cannot 
be  disappointed,  defeated,  or  surprised.  The  glorious 


Salvation  by  Grace  53 

company  of  the  redeemed  will,  therefore,  be  gathered 
according  to  an  "election  of  grace." 

Two  out-standing  facts  are  disclosed  in  the  Scrip- 
tures in  regard  to  the  attitude  of  God  toward  this 
world:  (1)  Back  of  the  secondary  question  of 
the  human  choice  for  which  man  is  held  responsible, 
is  the  more  important  fact  that  God  has  permitted 
men  to  beJ?pj^juidJLixje  who  He  as  certainly  knows 
will  reject  His  grace  with  all  the  woe  that  their 
choice  entails.  Thus  there  is  no  escape  from  the 
fundamental  fact  of  the  sovereignty  of  <iod  by  em- 
phasizing the  superficial  issues  of  a  human  choice. 
And  (2)  God  is  under  the  compelling  force  of  His 
own  boundless  love  to  be  the  Saviour  of  all  men.  He 
so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten 
Son  that  whosoever  believeth  on  Him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  Thus,  if  divine 
love  for  a  lost  world  can  form  any  incentive  in  the 
heart  of  Gfod^  according  to  the  Scriptures,  there  is 
formed  an  equal  incentive  toward  all.  These  state- 
ments are  seemingly  contradictory  one  to  the  other, 
and  the  solution  of  the  problem  they  present  is 
never  found  in  seeking  to  minimize  the  one  in  the  hope 
of  preserving  the  other.  Theological  systems  have 
been  developed,  made  their  appeal,  and  failed  at  this 
very  point.  The  solution  of  the  problem  is  never 
found  in  the  range  of  human  reason;  it  is  perfectly 
solved  in  the  range  of  divine  righteousness.  Being 
unable  to  penetrate  the  infinite  issues  involved,  man 
may  rest  on  the  absolute  righteousness  of  God.  The 
glorified  saint,  looking  back  over  the  steps  of  the  di- 
vine accomplishment,  will  then  see  that  all  God  did 
was  right.  Here  faith  alone  can  minister  rest  to  the 


54  Grace 

soul.  The  consummation  of  the  age  will  be  seen  to 
be  according  to  infinite  wisdom,  love,  and  power.  It 
will  be  to  the  eternal  satisfaction  of  God  whose  ten- 
der heartedness  is  boundless  and  whose  justice  can 
never  be  diminished.  It  will  be  all-satisfying  to  His 
saints;  for  it  is  declared  that  they  will  be  "satisfied" 
when  they  awake  in  His  likeness.  The  Gospel  of  the 
grace  of  God  is  to  be  preached  to  all  men  with  an 
appeal  to  their  will.  The  result  will  be  a  selection 
and  election  according  to  sovereign  grace.  It  will  be 
in  absolute  accord  with  infinite  goodness,  and  the  re- 
sult will  be  to  His  own  exceeding  joy. 

Every  form  of  evangelism  which  tends  to  force 
the  decision  of  the  will  beyond  the  sovereign  move- 
ments of  the  Spirit  on  the  hearts  of  men  is  fraught 
with  infinite  perils. 

No  emphasis  on  the  importance  of  preaching  the 
Gospel  of  grace  in  its  purity  can  be  too  strong. 
Biblical  preaching  must  present  saving  grace  with 
no  admixtures  of  limitations  because  of  human  sin, 
human  obligation,  or  human  merit.  Only  thus  can 
there  be  the  fullest  co-operation  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
and  only  thus  can  the  messenger  be  saved  from  the 
unrevoked  anathema  which  is  pronounced  (Gal.  1:8, 
9)  on  all  those  who  pervert  the  Gospel  of  the  grace 
of  God. 


CHAPTER  III 

SAFE-KEEPING  IN  GRACE 

NOT  only  is  the  believer  said  to  be  saved  by  grace, 
but  he  is  said  to  "stand"  in  grace.  The  word 
stand,  as  used  in  the  New  Testament,  gives  expression 
to  the  thought  of  continuing  and  enduring,  and  to 
"stand"  in  grace  is  to  abide  unchanged,  to  endure, 
and  to  continue  in  grace.  We  read:  "We  have  ac- 
cess by  faith  into  this  grace  wherein  we  stand" 
(Rom.  5:2),  and,  "This  is  the  true  grace  of  God 
wherein  ye  stand"  (1  Pet.  5: 12). 

The  continued  exercise  of  divine  grace  toward  the 
Christian  is  the  one  and  only  basis  upon  which  he 
may  hope  to  endure;  for,  as  certainly  as  grace  is 
the  one  and  only  basis  upon  which  God  can  save  a 
meritless  sinner,  so  certainly  grace  alone  is  the  basis 
upon  which  God  can  righteously  keep  him  saved. 
Having  begun  in  the  Spirit,  or  wholly  in  the  power 
and  grace  of  God,  there  is  no  hope  for  continuance 
to  be  found  in  the  flesh,  or  the  resources  of  human 
strength.  Human  ability  can  no  more  maintain  a 
right  standing  before  God  than  it  can  attain  such  a 
standing. 

Since  the  application  of  divine  grace  for  the  sal- 
vation of  the  sinner  precedes,  in  point  of  time,  the 
application  of  that  grace  for  the  keeping  of  the  one 
who  is  saved,  it  is  perhaps  permissible  to  contem- 

55 


I 


56  Grace 

plate  the  operation  of  divine  grace  in  a  two-fold 
classification — the  gjpac^_whichsaves,  and  the  grace 
-^jjych  keeps.  But,  on  the  otiier  Jaand,  an  over-em- 
phasisoFtms  two-fold  classification  is  misleading  in 
the  extreme;  for  in  no  sense  are  there  two  efforts,  or 
operations,  of  divine  grace.  The  keeping  ministry 
of  God  in  grace  is  but  the  realization  of  that  which 
is  purposed,  programmed,  and  wholly  provided  for 
in  His  saving  ministry  in  grace.  In  reality,  God  of- 
fers no  saving  ministry  of  grace  which  does  not  in- 
clude and  guarantee  His  keeping  ministry  of  grace. 
The  varied  operations  of  divine  grace  in  behalf  of 
the  sinner  which  contemplate  his  every  need  to  the 
end  of  eternity  are  one  indivisible  purpose  of  God. 

The  wholly  artificial,  two-fold  classification  of  the 
^  ministries  of  grace  into  that  which  aavesL  and  that 
which  keeps,  has  been  emphasized  by  certain  theo- 
logical systems.  These  systems,  while  professing  to 
believe  in  the  doctrine  of  salvation  _by  grace^  ignore 
or  repudiate  at  the  same  time,  the  doctrine  of  the 
keeping  power  of  God  through  grace.  The  pro- 
moters of  these  systems  have  contended  that  God 
in  grace  might  save  a  sinner  for  the  moment ;  but  the 
endurance  in  that  salvation  would,  of  necessity,  be 
conditioned  on  human  merit  and  works.  In  other 
words,  the  saved  one  would  remain  saved  only  as 
long  as  he  remained  good.  Such  a  conception  of 
saving  grace  is  so  far  removed  from  the  fundamental 
ground  upon  which  all  grace  must  be  based,  that  it 
must  be  concluded  that  the  framers  and  supporters 
of  these  doctrines  have  in  no  sense  discovered  the 
true  character  of  saving  grace  and  are,  therefore, 
unable  to  advance  on  the  true  lines  of  revelation 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  57 

Which  lead  to  the  perfectly  secured  consummation  of 
all  saving  grace.  This  consummation  is  no  less  than 
the  keeping  of  the  saved  one  throughout  all  time  and 
eternity.  Multitudes  who  have  been  trained  in  these 
false  doctrines  are  saved,  but  they  are  saved  in  spite 
of  their  doctrines,  and  those  who  are  saved  have  in 
every  case  been  kept  from  the  moment  they  were 
saved;  not  because  they  remained  good,  but  because 
of  the  fact  that  unmerited  favor  is  provided  for 
every  one  who  is  saved  by  grace. 

Since  there  is  a  difference  as  to  time  of  application 
of  the  indivisible  operations  of  divine  grace  and  since 
certain  theological  systems  have  forced  this  division 
to  the  point  of  an  avowed  belief  and  confidence  to- 
ward the  grace  which  saves,  and  to  the  point  of  avowed 
disbelief  and  discredit  toward  the  grace  which  keeps, 
grace  will  be  treated  throughout  this  and  remaining 
chapters  as  though  it  were  subject  to  this  two-fold 
classification. 

The  fact  that  God  keeps  the  saved  one  on  a  grace 
principle  alone  has  been  anticipated  already  in  the 
preceding  chapters;  but  turning  to  a  more  specific 
consideration  of  the  fact  and  force  of  divine  grace  as 
related  to  the  keeping  power  of  God,  the  subject  may 
be  given  a  three-fold  classification:  (1)  The  keep- 
ing power  of  God  through  grace  is  included  in  every 
consideration  of  the  principles  of  grace.  (2)  The 
keeping  power  of  God  through  grace  is  implied  in 
every  revelation  wherein  is  presented  the  truth  that 
grace  reaches  into  the  coming  ages  for  its  consum- 
mation. (3)  The  keeping  power  of  God  through 
grace  is  seen  in  the  manifold  provisions  and  safe- 
guards which  He  has  made  to  that  end.  These  three 


58  Grace 

viewpoints  of  the  keeping  power  of  divine  grace  are 
essential. 


I.  THE  KEEPING  POWER  OF  GOD  THROUGH  GRACE  IS 
INCLUDED  IN  EVERY  CONSIDERATION  OF  THE  PRINCIPLES 
OF  GRACE. 

If  God  has  found  a  way  whereby  He  can  right- 
eously save  hell-deserving,  meritless  sinners,  apart 
from  all  complications  with  human  resources  or  limit- 
ations, He  has,  by  the  continued^  application  of  those 
principles,  found  a  way  whereby,  without  reference 
to  merit  or  demerit,  the  saved  one  can  be  kept  saved 
to  the  ages  of  the  ages.  This,  though  most  reasonable, 
is  purely  a  question  of  divine  revelation,  and,  there- 
fore its  consideration  should  not  be  influenced  by  ra- 
tionalistic systems  of  thought.  From  observation  of 
the  natural  wordings  01  the  human  mind,  it  may  be 
concluded  that  it  is  a  greater  test  of  faith  for  the 
individual  to  repose  on  the  keeping  power  of  God 
through  grace,  than  it  is  to  repose  on  the  saving  power 
of  God  through  grace ;  yet,  as  has  been  stated,  to  have 
accepted  the  true  grace  principles  in  salvation  is  to 
be  committed  to  those  selfsame  principles  which, 
in  turn,  form  the  very  basis  of  the  keeping  power  of 
God  through  grace.  To  restate, — The  basis  upon 
which  God  can  exercise  grace  in  the  salvation  of  the 
sinner  is  three-fold:  (1)  There  must  be  the  disposal 
of  every  condemnation  which  divine  righteousness 
could  impose  because  of  sin.  This  has  been  per- 
fectly accomplished  in  the  cross  of  Christ.  (2)  There 
must  be  a  disposal  of  every  human  obligation.  This 
has  been  provided  in  the  offer  of  salvation  to  man  as 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  59 

a  gift  from  God.  And,  (3)  there  must  be  a  disposal 
of  all  Jmmanjsfiiil.  This  has  been  supplied  by  the 
divine  decree  which  places  the  whole  world  "under 
sin"  before  God.  If  these  great  principles  of  grace, 
which  belong  to  salvation,  shall  be  applied  and  con- 
tinued to  the  believer  after  he  is  saved,  there  is 
formed  thereby,  the  same  righteous  freedom  for  the 
infinite  love  of  God  to  be  exercised  to  its  own  satis- 
faction in  the  eternal  keeping  of  the  one  who  has  been 
saved.  With  more  specific  reference  to  these  three 
principles  in  grace,  it  may  be  observed : 

First,  There  must  be  the  Disposal  of  Every  Con- 
demnation which  Divine  Righteousness  could  Impose 
Because  of  Sin. 

Since  the  problem  of  the  keeping  power  of  God  is 
related  only  to  the  believer,  the  crucial  question 
which  is  confronted  at  this  point  may  be  stated  thus : 
Are  the  sins  which  Christians  commit_o£tfer  they  are 
saved  divinely  judged  and  disposed  of  in  the  cross 
equally  with  the  sins  of  the  unsaved  ?  The  Scripture 
is  clear  oifthis  point:  "And  he  is  the  propitiation 
for  our  [Christians]  sins:  and  not  for  ours  only, 
but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world";  "The 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son  cleanseth  us  [Christ- 
ians] from  all  sin"  (1  John  1:7;  2:2).  To  these 
passages  may  be  added  all  the  Scripture  which  con- 
templates the  universality  of  the  efficacious  death  of 
Christ  for  sin;  for  sin  is  sin  in  any  and  every  case, 
whether  it  be  committed  by  the  saved  or  the  unsaved, 
and  it  can  be  cured  only  by  the  precious  blood  of  the 
Son  of  God.  All  sin  taken  together  formed  the  im- 
measurable burden  which  was  laid  on  Him.  The 


60  Grace 

supposition  that  the  sins  of  Christians  were  excluded 
from  the  redeeming  work  of  Christ,  can  be  enter- 
tained only  without  serious  thought.  Equally  erro- 
neous is  the  supposition  that  God  does  not  deal  judi- 
cially with  the  Christian's  sins  until  they  are  com- 
mitted. Every  sin  that  humanity — saved  or  unsaved 
— had  committed,  or  ever  would  commit,  was  dealt 
with  in  perfect  divine  jiiflyn»*nt.  hv  Christ  at  the 
cross.  He  was  GoTPsLamb  that  "taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world."  Being  universal,  this  divine 
judgment  contemplated  the  sin  of  the  saved  as  much 
as  the  sin  of  the  unsaved. 

As  certainly,  then,  as  grace  may  be  extended  to 
the  unsaved  on  the  basis  of  the  fact  that  Christ  has 
already  borne  the  condemnation  of  his  sin,  so  cer- 
tainly grace  may  be  extended  and  continued  to  the 
saved  on  the  basis  of  the  fact  that  Christ  has  already 
borne  the  condemnation  of  the  Christian's  sin.  In 
this  dispensation,  the  unsaved  are  not  said  to  be  con- 
demned primarily  because  of  their  sins  which  Christ 
has  borne;  they  are  condemned  because  they  do  not 
Iclicvc  on  Christ  who  bore  their  sins.  "He  that 

""•••^ ^•••^•^•^MMMI^^ 

believeth  not  is  condemned  already,  because  he  hath 
not  believed  in  the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of 
God"  (John  3:18).  In  like  manner,  the  Christian 
will  never  be  condemned  because  of  the  sin  which 
Christ  has  borne.  So,  also,  the  Christian,  having  ac- 
cepted Christ,  can  never  be  condemned  for  lack  of 
saving  faith.  It  is  therefore  said:  "Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you,  He  that  heareth  my  word,  and  be- 
lioveth  on  him  that  hath  sent  me,  hath  everlasting 
life,  and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation;  but  is 
passed  from  death  unto  life"  (John  5 : 24)7  "There 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  61 

is  therefore  now  no  condemnation  to  them  that  are  in 
Christ  Jesus"  (Rom.  8:1,  E.  V.).  "He  that  be- 
lieveth  on  him  is  not  condemned"  (John  3:18). 

By  this  Scripture  it  is  seen  that  the  cross  of  Christ 
is  the  foundation  of  the  Christian's  eternal  security 
and  standing  in  grace;  but  it  should  never  be  disas- 
sociated from  the  supplementary,  though  wholly  un- 
related, truth  that  God,  while  never  condemning 
either  the  saint  or  the  sinner  because  of  sin,  since 
Christ  has  died,  does  undertake,  upon  an  entirely 
different  basis,  to  safeguard  the  Christian  from  every 
practice  of  sin,  and  He  chastens,  where  there  is  need, 
as  only  a  righteous  Father  can  do.  / 

Does  sin  unsave  the  Christian?  This  is  a  fair 
question,  and  if  it  be  answered  in  the  affirmative, 
there  are  but  two  possible  positions  in  which  the 
Christian  might  stand:  he  must,  at  a  given  time, 
be  either  sinlessly  perfect,  or  a  lost  soul.  There 
could  be  rib  TriferMediaTe  ground.  The  true  reply  to 
this  important  question  will  be  found  (1)  in  the 
Scriptures  and  (2)  in  human  experience. 

1.  Revelation  not  only  infers,  but  directly  states 
that  Christians  sin.  It  also  presents  the  cure  for 
such  sin,  which,  it  may  be  added,  is  wholly  different 
from  that  which  is  provided  for  the  cure  of  the  sins 
of  the  unsaved.  This  body  of  truth,  both  directly 
and  indirectly,  constitutes  a  very  large  proportion  of 
the  Epistles  of  the  New  Testament;  for  the  Epistles 
are  written  to  believers  only,  and  disclose  both  the 
believer's  .eternal  standing  and  his  present ,.§taifLj) 
fore  God.  This  message,  while  plainly  declaring  that 
Christians  do  sin,  as  plainly  declares  that  Christians 
are  not  condemned.  This  seeming  moral  inconsis- 


62  Grace 

tency  is  not  adjusted  by  blindly  supposing  the  Chris- 
tian to  be  lost  because  of  his  sin;  it  is  adjusted  by 
that  higher  morality  made  possible  through  the  death 
of  Christ,  which,  alas,  too  few  have  comprehended  or 
acknowledged,  either  for  their  salvation  or  keeping. 

2.  Human  experience  also  testifies  to  the  indisput- 
able fact  that  Christians  do  remain  saved  in  spite  of 
their  evident  imperfections  and  sin.  This  fact  must 
not  be  slighted.  Christians  are  now  standing,  and 
the  continuance  of  any  Christian  as  such  for  an  hour, 
or  a  moment,  is  a  final  proof  that  there  is  some  divine 
provision  for  their  kfifrpil^;  for  in  no  sense  could  it 
reasonably  be  supposed  that  they  are  standing  in  any 
goodness  or  perfection  of  their  own.  The  fact  that 
they  are  now  standing,  is  final  proof,  also,  that  they 
are  neither_lost  wherfthey  sin,  nor  sinless  when  they 
remain  saved.  They  are,  rather,  "kept  through  the 
power  of  God,"  and  that  power  is  not  only  directly 
exercised  in  their  behalf ;  but  it  has  been  made  right- 
eously free  to  act  through  the  shed  blood  of  the 
Lamb  6f"CTod.  Sin  does  not  overcome  the  blood ;  it 
is  blood  that  overcomes  sin. 

Thus  grace  is  extended  toward  the  believer  for 
time  and  eternity,  not  on  the  ground  of  impossible 
perfection,  nor  by  slighting  the  fact  of  sin;  it  is  ex- 
tended to  him  because  it  is  the  Father 's  good  pleasure 
to  keep  His  child,  and  the  Father  is  unconditionally 
free  to  do  this  through  the  blood  that  has  been  shed. 

Second,  There  Must  be  a  Disposal  of  Every  Human 
Obligation. 

It  is  most  evident  from  the  Scriptures  that  every 
human  work  has  been  set  aside  and  salvation  is  now 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  63 

offered  to  men,  only  as  the  gift  of  God.  There  are 
no  payments  to  be  made,  past,  present,  or  future; 
else  grace  is  no  longer  grace.  This  fact  is  the  second 
foundation  principle  of  grace  as  grace  is  exercised 
toward  the  sinner.  This  aspect  of  divine  favor  is 
equally  effective  when  grace  is  exercised  toward  the 
Christian.  Pft  fihristianq  pgy^jheir  way,  or  do  they, 


by  their  good  lives  and  service,  make  it  imperative 
for  God  to  keep  them  saved  ?  The  answer  is  evident. 
There  could  be  no  peace  of  heart  under  such  rela-  "^ 
tions  to  God.  Who  could  ever  assure  himself  that 
he  had  accomplished  all  his  Christian  duty,  or  com- 
plied with  all  the  demands  found  in  the  holy  ideals 
of  God?  Who  can  repay  God  for  the  riches  of  His 
grace?  To  attempt  to  do  so,  is  to  place  a  sordid 
value  on  the  priceless  treasures  of  heaven's  glory. 
God  proposes  to  keep  every  believing  soul,  for  He 
has  said,  '  '  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.  '  '  But  His  keep- 
ing will  not  be  on  a  basis  of  exchange  wherein  Chris- 
tian faithfulness,  as  important  as  it  is,  will  be  made 
the  purchasing  medium  of  the  measureless  goodness 
and  blessing  of  God.  He  will  keep  by  grace  alone. 

Third,  There  Must  ~be  a  Disposal  of  Every  Human 
Merit. 

Through  the  divine  decree,  as  has  been  seen,  every 
human  merit  has  been  set  aside  in  order  that  pure 
grace  might  reign  unchallenged  and  uncomplicated. 
That  salvation  might  be  by  grace  alone,  God  has  re- 
moved every  possible  conflicting  issue  which  might 
arise  because  of  human  merit.  The  whole  human 
family  is  now  "under  sin";  for  only  thus  are  they 
objects  of  pure  grace.  Such  grace  can  be  exercised 


64  Grace 

only  toward  the  meritless.  Salvation  is  based  on  the 
loving  goodness  of  God  and  never  on  the  supposed 
worthiness  of  the  sinner.  In  like  manner,  God  is  now 
equally  free  to  continue  the  exercise  of  His  boundless 
grace  toward  the  Christian  without  reference  to  the 
Christian's  merit.  All  that  the  love  of  God  may 
prompt  Him  to  do  in  grace,  He  is  free  to  do.  His 
unconditional  covenant  of  eternal  blessings  is  the 
guaranty  of  His  abiding  purpose.  This  leads  to  the 
consideration  of  the  second  classification: 


H.  THE  KEEPING  POWEB  OF  GOD  THROUGH  GRACE 
IS  IMPLIED  IN  EVERY  REVELATION  WHEREIN  IS  PRE- 
SENTED THE  TRUTH  THAT  GRACE  REACHES  UNTO  THE 
COMING  AGES  FOR  ITS  CONSUMMATION. 

Through  the  cross  of  Christ,  which  has  dealt  with 
sin,  and  through  His  decree  against  all  human  obli- 
gation and  merit  as  related  to  salvation,  God  is  right- 
eously free  to  preserve  His  child  forever.  And  since 
His  supreme  purpose  in  all  the  ages  will  not  be  real- 
ized until  the  sinner  is  saved,  transformed  into  the 
image  of  Christ,  and  lifted  up  to  the  highest  glory, 
He  will  continue  the  exercise  of  His  grace  toward 
every  believer  until  the  divine  objective  is  consum- 
mated. How  perfectly  He  has  delivered  Himself  from 
every  limitation !  How  absolutely  gracious  are  all  His 
ways  with  those  whom  He  saves!  And  how  irresist- 
ible in  His  purpose  and  power! 

The  great  covenant  promises  of  salvation  are  not 
limited  to  the  moment  when  the  sinner  accepts  the 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  65 

saving  grace  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus ;  they  all  reach  on 
and  guarantee  every  step  of  the  way  from  the  first 
moment  of  faith  to  the  last  moment  of  fruition.  ^ 
Even  the  word  salvation,  in  its  largest  Biblical  mean- 
ing, covers  all  that  is  past,  all  that  is  present,  and  all 
that  is  future,  in  the  out-working  of  the  grace  of  God 
for  the  one  who  believes.  ' '  He  which  hath  begun  a 
good  work  in  you  will  perform  it  until  the  day  of 
Jesus  Christ"  (Phil.  1:6).  "For  God  so  loved  the 
world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whoso- 
ever believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life"  (John  3:16).  In  the  great  prom-  >, 
ises  of  grace  there  is  no  measurement  as  to  time,  nor. . 
any  human  condition  imposed  other  than, ,  believing. 
''But  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  power 
[right]  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that 
believe  on  his  name"  (John  1:12).  "He  that  be- 
lieveth on  the  Son  hath  everlasting,  life"  (John  3: 
36).  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  heareth 
my  word,  and  believeth  on  him  that  sent  me,  hath 
everlasting  life,  and  shall  not  come  into  condemna- 
tion; but  is  passed  from  death  unto  life"  (John 
5:24).  "And  him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no 
wise  cast  out"  (John  6:37).  "For  I  am  not 
ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ :  for  it  is  the  power 
of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that_belieyetji" 
(Rom,  1:16).  "That  he  might  be  just,  and  the 
justifier  of  him  which  belieifith  in  Jesus"  (Rom. 
3:  26).  "For  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  right- 
eousness to  every  one  that  believeth"  (Rom.  10:4). 
Such  is  the  unalterable  and  unconditional  covenant 
of  God  in  grace. 


66  Grace 


m.  THE  KEEPING  POWER  OF  GOD  THROUGH  GRACE 
IS  INDICATED  BY  THE  MANIFOLD  PROVISIONS  AND  SAFE- 
GUARDS WHICH  HE  HAS  MADE  TO  THAT  END. 

The  eternal  purposes  of  God  in  grace  can  never 
fail  since  He  has  anticipated  and  provided  for  every 
emergency  that  could  arise.  Some  of  these  provisions 
are: 

First.     The  Power  of  God. 

His  power,  which  is  supreme,  is  ceaselessly  en- 
gaged in  the  keeping  of  His  own  unto  the  realization 
of  His  eternal  purpose.  Able  is  the  great  New  Tes- 
tament word  that  is  used  to  indicate  the  omnipotent 
power  of  God.  By  use  of  this  word,  God  is  said  to 
be  of  sufficient  power  to  do  whatever  is  predicated 
of  Him.  "My  Father,  which  gave  them  me,  is  greater 
than  all;  and  no  man  [nothing]  ig^able^to  pluck  them 
out  of  my  Father's  hand"  (John  10:29).  "For  I 
am  persuaded,  that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  an- 
gels, nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor  things  pres- 
ent, nor  things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor 
any  other  creature  [created  being],  shall  bejable^to 
separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord"  (Rom.  8:  38,  39). 1  "Who  art  thou 
that  thou  judgest  another  man's  servant?  to  his  own 
master  he  standeth  or  f  alleth.  Yea,  he  shall  be  holden 
up :  for  God  isable  to  make  him  stand"  (Rom.  14:  4). 

And   God   "is   able  to   do   exceeding   abundantly 

i  It  should  be  observed  that  there  is  no  reference  in  this 
list  either  to  things  pas^.  or  to  sin,  as  having  possible  power 
to  separate  the  believer  from  God.  The  past  and  all  sin  is 
under  the  blood  and,  therefore,  not  even  to  be  considered. 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  67 

above  all  that  we  ask  or  think"  (Eph.  3:  20).  "Ac- 
cording to  the  working  whereby  he  is  able  even  to  sub- 
due all  things  unto  himself"  (Phil.  3:21).  "For 
I  know  whom  I  have  believed,  and  am  persuaded  that 
he  is.  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committed  unto 
him  against  that  day"  (2  Tim.  1:12).  "For  in 
that  he  himself  hath  suffered  being  tempted,  he  is 
able  to  succor  them  that  are  tempted"  (Heb.  2: 18). 
"Wherefore  he  is. able  also  to  save  them  to  the  utter- 
most [wjjjiiout_end]  that  come  unto  God  by  him" 
(Heb.  7:25).  "Now  unto  him  that  is  able  to  keep'-  ^ 
you  from  falling,  and  to  present  you  faultless  before 
the  presence  of  his  glory  with  exceeding  joy"  (Jude 
24).  "And  being  fully  persuaded  that,  what  he 
has  promised,  he  washable  to  perform"  (Rom.  4:  21). 
"What  shall  we  then  say  to  these  things?  If  God 
be  for  us,  who  can  be  against  us?"  (Rom.  8:31). 

Second.    TlneLgyo.  of  God. 

Not  only  is  God  g6Ze  to  do  according  to  His  eternal 
purpose,  but  His  love  as  a  supreme  motive  will  never 
fail.  ' '  Having  loved  his  own  which  were  in  the  world, 
he  loved  them  unto  the  end"  (without  end,  John 
13:1).  "But  God  commendeth  his  love  toward  us, 
in  that,  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for 
us.  Much  more  then,  being  now  justified  by  his  blood, 
we  shall  be  saved  from  wrath  through  Him.  For 
if,  when  we  were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God 
by  the  death  of  his  Son,  much  more,  being  recon- 
ciled, we  shall  be  saved  by  his  life"  (Rom.  5:8-11). 
As  he  loved  the  unsaved  enough  to  give  His  Son  to 
die  for  them,  even  when  they  were  "yet  without 
strength"  and  "enemies";  "Much  more  then,  being 


681  Grace 

now  justified  by  his  blood"  and  " reconciled, "  they 
shall  be  "saved  from  wrath  through  him,"  and 
"saved  by  his  life."  Such  is  the  unchangeable  love 
of  God.  "Much  more"  than  His  love  for  the  "ene- 
mies," which  drew  out  the  unspeakable  gift  of  His 
Son,  is  His  love  for  His  own  who  are  now  "justified" 
and  "reconciled."  So,  also,  there  is  a  boundless  as- 
surance as  to  the  future :  ' '  saved  from  wrath  through 
him,"  which  points  to  the  unchangeable  position  of 
the  believer  "in  Christ,"  and  "saved  by  his  life" 
which  points  to  the  living  presence  and  ministry  of 
Christ  in  glory.  "With  such  provisions,  God 's  love  can 
know  no  disappointment  concerning  those  whom  He 
has  saved  in  grace. 

Third.     The  Prayer  of  the  Son  of  God. 

Christ  prayed  while  here  on  earth:  "I  pray  for 
them :  I  pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for  them  which 
thou  hast  given  me ;  for  they  are  thine.  And  all  mine 
are  thine,  and  thine  are  mine ;  and  I  am  glorified  in 
them.  And  now  I  am  no  more  in  the  world,  but  these 
are  in  the  world,  and  I  come  to  thee.  Holy  Father, 
keep  through  thine  own  name  those  whom  thou  hast 
given  me,  that  they  be  one,  as  we  are.  While  I  was 
with  them  in  the  world,  I  kept  them  in  thy  name: 
those  that  thou  gavest  me  I  have  kept,  and  none  of 
them  is  lost,  but  the  son  of  perdition."  "I  pray 
not  that  thou  shouldest  take  them  out  of  the  world, 
but  that  thou  shouldest  keep  them  from  the  evil." 
"Neither  pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  for  them 
also  which  shall  believe  on  me  through  their  word" 
(John  17:  0-12,  15,  20).  It  is  wholly  impossible  that 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  69 

any  prayer  of  the  Son  of  God  should  be  unanswered. 
Too  much  emphasis  cannot  be  placed  on  this  assuring 
fact.  While  the  "son  of  perdition,"  who  was  never 
saved,  was  lost  that,  in  his  case,  "the  Scripture  might 
be  fulfilled,"  the  Son  of  God  could  say  of  the  saved 
ones:  "And  none  of  them  is  lost."  Thus,  since  He 
has  prayed,  as  well,  for~rrt£em  also  which  shall  be- 
lieve on  me  through  their  word,"  He  will  yet  say,  of 
all  believers:  "And  none  of  them  is  lost,"  and  in 
the  same  manner  will  the  Scriptures  be  fulfilled  in  the 
presentation  of  every  saved  one  in  glory. 

As  Christ  began  to  pray  for  his  own  while  He  was 
yet  here  in  the  world,  so  He  has  continued  to  pray  for 
them,  and  will  continue  to  pray  for  them,  in  heaven : 
"Seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them" 
(Heb.  7:25).  Who  can  measure  the  security  of  the 
children  of  God  when  they  are  the  objects  of  the  cease- 
less intercession  of  the  Son  of  God,  whose  prayer  can 
never  be  denied? 

Fourth.  The  Substitutionary  Death  of  the  Son  of 
God. 

The  death  of  the  Son  of  God  is  the  sufficient  answer 
to  the  condemning  power  of  sin ;  even  as  sin  appears 
before  the  righteous  throne  of  God.  Not  even  the  un- 
saved are  now  condemned  because  of  sin  which  Christ 
has  borne;  how  much  more  are  the  saved  free  from 
condemnation  through  the  death  of  Christ!  Thus 
the  Holy  Spirit  boldly  inquires:  "Who  is  he  that 
oondemneth?"  The  answer  He  also  gives:  "It  is 
Christ  that  died";  "There  is  therefore  now  no  con- 
demnation to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus"; 


70  Grace 

"When  I  see  the  blood,  I  will  pass  over  you."  The 
eternal  purpose  of  God  in  grace  is  assured  through 
the  death  of  the  Son  of  God. 

Fifth.  The  Resurrection  of  the  Son  of  God. 

When  he  is  saved,  every  believer  partakes  of  the 
resurrection  life  of  the  Son  of  God.  He  receives  a 
new  life  from  God.  It  is  the  gift  of  God  which  is 
eternal  life,  and  it  is  "Christ  in  you,  the  hope  of 
glory."  Speaking  of  this  imparted  life,  Christ  said: 
"I  am  come  that  they  might  have  life,"  and,  "He 
that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life." 
So,  again,  "I  give  unto  them  eternal  life;  and  they 
shall  never  perish"  (John  3:36;  10:10,  28).  It  is 
the  imperishable  life  of  the  eternal  Son  of  God  which 
is  imparted  to  every  believer.  God  never  gave  this 
gift  in  blindness,  not  knowing  what  might  be  the 
future  character  of  the  one  He  thus  saved.  He  knew 
the  end  from  the  beginning.  He  anticipated  every 
failure  and  sin;  yet,  through  Christ,  He  can  assure 
us  that,  having  received  the  gift  of  eternal  life,  we 
shall  never  perish.  According  to  the  unalterable  gift 
of  eternal  life,  made  possible  through  the  death  and 
resurrection  of  the  Son  of  God,  the  purposes  of  God 
in  grace  are  secured. 

Sixth.     The  Present  Advocacy  of  the  Son  of  God. 

The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  now  "appearing"  in  the 
presence  of  the  Father  as  Advocate  for  every  one  who 
is  saved  by  grace.  As  Advocate,  He  is  concerned 
with  the  actual  sins  of  the  Christian.  He  is  not  there 
before  the  Father  making  excuses  for  their  sins,  nor 
is  He  imploring  the  Father  to  be  merciful;  He  is 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  71 

rather  presenting  His  own  blood  before  that  throne 
as  the  answer  to  the  condemnation  of  every  sin.  "If 
any  man  sin,  we  [Christians]  have  an  advocate  with 
the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous"  (1  John  2: 
1).  In  Kom.  8 :  34,  assurance  is  given  by  four  great 
facts  that  the  child  of  God  will  never  be  condemned. 
One  of  these  is  that  Christ ' '  is  even  at  the  right  hand 
of  God."  To  the  same  purpose  it  is  declared  in 
Heb.  9 :  24,  that  ' '  Christ  is  not  entered  into  the  holy 
places  made  with  hands,  which  are  the  figures  of  the 
true;  but  into  heaven  itself,  now  to  appear  in  the 
presence  of  God  for  us. ' '  In  view  of  the  presence 
of  the  Advocate  before  the  Father's  throne,  meeting 
the  force  of  every  sin,  even  meeting  the  challenge 
of  Satan  who  is  there  to  accuse  the  brethren  night 
and  day  before  God  (Rev.  12:10),  there  can  be  no 
doubt  remaining  as  to  the  realization  of  the  eternal 
purposes  of  God  in  grace. 

•BMBMV**" 

Seventh.  The  Intercession,  or  Shepherdhood,  of 
the  Son  of  God. 

The  intercession  of  Christ  extends  beyond  His 
present  ministry  of  prayer  for  the  saved,  which  has 
just  been  considered,  and  includes,  as  well,  His  shep- 
herd-care over  them.  As  _ShepJb^erdA,JIfi.,Ja.^uarding 
their  path  against  the  snares  of  the  evil  one,  and  guid- 
ing their  feet  in  the  ways  of  His  blessing  and  peace. 
Peter  knew  nothing  of  the  fact  that  Satan  had  de- 
signs against  him,  or  that  Christ  had  anticipated 
those  designs  and  had  prayed  for  him.  All  this  was 
revealed  to  him  when  Christ  said:  "Simon,  Simon, 
behold,  Satan  hath  desired  to  have  you  [obtained 
thoe  by  asking],  that  he  may  sift  you  as  wheat:  but 


72  Grace 

I  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not"  (Lk. 
22:31,  32).  Peter's  ignorance  of  that  which  had 
transpired  in  heaven  concerning  him  did  not  change 
the  fact  that  he  was,  nevertheless,  under  the  shep- 
herd-care of  Christ  the  Lord.  !So  it  is  at  every  mo- 
ment concerning  the  child  of  God. 

As  Shepherd  and  Intercessor,  Christ  is  now  the 
High  Priest  in  heaven  for  His  own.  The  priesthood 
ministry  of  the  old  dispensation  was  continually  in- 
terrupted by  tbe_dying  of  the  pyfests ;  but  this  Priest 
— Christ — hath  an  "unchangeable  priesthood,"  and 
that  is  assured  because  "he  continueth  ever" — Christ 
will  never  die  again.  His  priesthood  will  never 
jggage.  Because  of  this  it  is  also  said:  "Wherefore 
he  is  able  also  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost  [without 
end]  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth 
to  make  intercession  for  them"  (Heb.  7:23-25). 
He  will  save  them  as  long  as  He  lives,  which  is  forever. 

David,  too,  had  learned  of  the  shepherd-care  of 
his  Lord:  for  he  said,  "The  Lord  is  my  shepherd;  I 
shall  not  want."  His  confidence  concerning  the  fu- 
ture which  is  expressed  by  the  words,  "I  shall  not 
want,"  is  that  which  is  even  more  to  be  expected  in 
the  believer  of  this  dispensation,  who  has  all  the 
added  revelation  regarding  the  present  ministry 
of  Christ  in  heaven.  The  instructed  believer  is  thus 
made  certain  that  the  eternal  purposes  of  God  in 
grace  will  never  fail. 

Eighth.     The  Regenerating  Work  of  the  Spirit. 
By  the  regenerating  work  of  the  Spirit  the  believer 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  73 

is  made  a  legitimate  child  of  God.  God  being  actu- 
ally his  Father,  he  is  impelled  by  the  Spirit  to  say, 
"Abba,  Father."  Being  born  of  God,  he  has  par- 
taken of  the  "divine  nature,"  and,  on  the  ground 
of  that  birth,  he  is  an  heir  of  God,  and  a  joint-heir 
with  Christ  (John  1 : 13 ;  3:3-6;  Tit.  3:4-6;  1  Pet. 
1:23;  2  Pet.  1:4;  1  John  3:9). 

The  impartation  of  a  nature  is  an  operation  so 
deep  that  the  nature  thus  imparted  is  never  said  to 
to  be  removed  for  any  cause  whatsoever.  This  state- 
ment may  be  verified  from  the  Scriptures.  The  vital 
fact  of  relationship  through  birth  is  never  said  to  be 
disannulled.  Thus,  again,  the  fulfillment  of  the 
eternal  purpose  of  God  in  grace  is  to  be  anticipated 
with  unwavering  confidence. 

Ninth.     The  Spirit's  Indwelling. 

The  fact  that  the  Spirit  of  God  now^Jndwells  every 
believer  may  also  be  verified  from  the  "Word  of  God 
(John  7:  37-39;  Horn.  5:5;  8:9;  I  Cor.  2:12;  6:19; 
1  John  3:24).  It  is  also  clearly  revealed  that  the 
Spirit  has  come  to  " abide"  in  the  heart  He  has  once 
entered.  This  abiding  presence  of  the  Spirit  is  in 
answer  to  the  prayer  of  the  Son  of  God,  which  prayer 
cannot  be  unanswered.  "And  I  will  pray  the  Father, 
and  he  shall  give  you  another  Comforter,  that  he  may 
abide  with  you  for  ever"  (John  14: 16).  The  Chris- 
tian may  ".grieve,"  and  "quench**  fresist^  the  Spirit; 
but  there  is  no  Scripture  which  teaches  that  the 
Spirit  will  be  gj^gyed  away,  or  quenched  away.  So 
long  as  the  Spirit  indwells,  the  eternal  purposes  of 
God  in  grace  are  sure,  and  He  must  abide  forever. 


74  Grace 

Tenth.     The  Baptism  with  the  Spirit. 

The  Christian  has  been  so  vitally  united  to  Christ 
by  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit  that  he  is  said  to  be 
"in  Christ,"  and  Christ  is  said  to  be  "in"  the  be- 
liever. According  to  the  'Scriptures,  there  is  no 
other  meaning  to  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit  than 
this  (1  Cor.  12 : 13) .  Thus,  being  placed  by  the  Spirit 
in  organic  union  with  Christ,  the  believer  is  related 
to  Christ  as  the  branch  is  to  the  vine,  or  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  human  body  is  to  its  living  head.  Be- 
cause of  this  most  vital  union  to  Christ  through  the 
baptism  with  the  Spirit,  the  believer  is  said  to  be 
a  partaker  in  all  that  Christ  is,  all  that  Christ  has 
done,  and  all  that  Christ  will  ever  do.  This  is  a 
limitless  theme  since  it  opens  before  one  the  eternal 
realities  of  an  unchangeable  identification  with  Christ. 
One  of  these  eternal  realities  is  ' '  the  imputed  right- 
__£OusnesS-.Df-God^"  This  garment  in  which  every  be- 
liever is  now  clothedT  and  because  of  which  he  is  now, 
and  will  be  forever,  'accepted  before  God,  is  reckoned 
unto  him  because  he  is  jjin  Christ":  "That  we 
might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him"  (2 
Cor.  5:21)  ;  "But  of  him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus, 
who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  ...  righteousness" 
(1  Cor.  1:30);  "That  I  may  win  Christ,  and  be 
found  in  him,  not  having  mine  own  righteousness, 
.  .  .  but  that  which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ, 
the  righteousness  which  is  of  God  by  faith"  (Phil. 
3:8,  9),  "In  him"  we  are  made  nigh  through  the 
blood  of  Christ,  and  we  are  "made  accepted  in  the 
beloved."  There  is  a  righteousness  from  God  which 
is  unto  all  and  upon  all  who  believe  (Rom.  3:22). 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  75 

This  is  the  imputed  righteousness  of  God.  It  covers 
the  Christian,  because  he  is  "in  Christ,"  and  God  sees 
him  only  as  Christ  is  seen.  Being  "in  Christ"  he  is 
in  God's  sight  what  Christ  is.  This  position  is  that 
of  being  accepted  as  a  living  member  in  the  body, 
of  which  Christ  is  the  living  Head.  God  sees  the 
member  only  in  the  body  of  His  Son.  As  long,  then, 
as  Christ  abides  and  is  Himself  what  He  is — the 
very  righteousness  of  God — ,  so  long  the  member  of 
His  body  will  abide  under  the  imputed  righteousness 
of  God.  Thus  the  eternal  purposes  of  God  in  grace 
are  certain  through  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit. 

Eleventh.    The  Sealing  with  the  Spirit. 

Likewise,  every  believer  is  now  sealed  with  the 
Spirit.  The  immediate  value  of  this  accomplishment 
seems  to  be  more  for  the  sake  of  God,  than  for  the 
sake  of  the  believer.  This  particular  ministry  is  men- 
tioned only  three  times  in  the  New  Testament ;  but  it 
is  of  vital  import:  "Who  hath  also  sealed  us,  and 
given  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts"  (2  Cor. 
1:22);  "Having  also  believed,  ye  were  sealed  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise"  (Eph.  1:13,  B.  V.); 
"And  grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  whereby  ye 
are  sealed  unto  the  day  of  redemption"  (Eph.  4:  30). 
It  is  also  said  of  Christ  that  He  was  sealed  of  the 
Father  (John  6:27.  Cf  Isa.  42:1).  The  sealing  of 
the  believer  with  the  Spirit  is  "unto  the  day  of  re- 
demption." It  is  the  very  presence  of  the  Spirit  in 
the  heart.  He  is  the  Seal.  The  thing  accomplished 
by  His  sealing  is  so  vital  and  enduring  that  it  pre- 
cludes the  possibility  of  interruption  or  deflection. 
Thus,  as  for  reasons  given  above,  the  eternal  purposes 


76  Grace 

of  God  in  grace  are  to  be  received  without  distrust, 
because  of  the  sealing  with  the  Spirit. 

Twelfth.     The  New  Covenant  made  in  His  Blood. 

The  several  great  covenants  into  which  God  has 
been  pleased  to  enter  with  men  are  either  conditional 
covenants,  or  unconditional  covenants.  A  covenant 
is  conditional  whenever  it  is  made  to  depend  at  any 
point  on  the  faithfulness  of  man.  The  law  as  given 
by  Moses  was  a  conditional  covenant.  Its  terms  might 
be  stated  in  the  words,  "If  ye  will  do  good,  I  will 
bless  you."  On  the  other  hand,  a  covenant  is  un- 
conditional when  it  stands  as  a  simple  declaration 
from  God  as  to  what  He  purposes  to  do,  and  without 
relation  to  the  faithfulness,  or  unfaithfulness,  of 
man.  The  Abrahamic  Covenant  (Gen.  12:1-4;  13: 
14-17;  15:1-7;  17:1-8)  is  an  unconditional  covenant. 
It  will  be  seen  that  God  relied  at  no  point  on  the 
character  or  conduct  of  Abraham.  He  simply  de- 
clared to  Abraham  what  He  purposed  to  do.  This 
was  based  on  Abraham's  faith;  but  not  on  Abraham's 
faithfulness.  The  covenant  was,  and  is,  assured 
through  the  faithfulness  of  God  alone.  In  like  man- 
ner, the  New  Covenant  made  in  His  blood,  by  which 
every  Christian  is  now  related  to  God,  is  an 
unconditional  covenant.  It  is  God's  declaration 
of  what  He  proposes  to  do  for  the  one  who 
places  his  faith  in  Christ.  Belief  in  Christ,  it 
should  be  noted,  is  not  a  condition  within  the 
covenant;  it  is  the  one  condition  of  entrance  into 
the  covenant.  Turning  to  the  great  promises  of  the 
keeping  of  God  through  grace,  it  will  be  discovered 
that  they  are  alwaj^s  unconditional.  These  promises 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  77 

are  made  to  depend  only  on  the  goodness  and  faith- 
fulness of  God.  As  a  fruitage  of  the  saved  life,  good 
works  are  closely  related  to  the  Christian 's  life  under 
God,  and  are  the  ground  of  all  future  rewards;  but 
human  works,  as  important  as  they  are,  do  not  enter 
as  a  condition  into  either  the  divine  plan  of  salva- 
tion by  grace,  or  of  divine  keeping  through  grace. 
This,  too,  may  be  verified  from  the  Word  of  God. 
Three  very  brief  and  unconditional  promises  of 
eternal  security  are  here  given :  "I  will  in  no  wise 
cast  out"  (John  6:  37) ;  "They  shall  never  perish" 
(John  10:  28)  ;  and,  "shall  not  come  into  condemna- 
tion" (John  5:24).  Under  such  unconditional 
promises  the  eternal  purposes  of  God  in  grace  may  be 
received  with  unwavering  confidence. 

Certain  passages,  it  should  be  noted,  have  been  in- 
terpreted by  some  writers  to  teach  that,  in  spite  of 
this  overwhelming  body  of  revelation  concerning  the 
purpose  and  power  of  God  in  grace,  the  Christian 
who  is  truly  saved  might  be  lost  again.  The  pas- 
sages are  worthy  of  carefuf~consideration  but  such 
consideration  cannot  be  entered  into  here.1  Scripture 
does  not  present  a  contradiction,  and,  as  must  be  con- 
cluded from  what  has  gone  before,  it  will  be  found 
upon  careful  examination  of  these  Scriptures,  con- 
sidering their  context  and  dispensational  character, 
that  there  is  no  Scripture  which  lessens  the  force, 
or  discredits  the  revelation,  concerning  the  eternal 
purposes  of  God  in  grace. 

Salvation  by  grace  is,  then,  the  indivisible  whole  of 
God's  redeeming  purpose  in  Christ  and  that  which 

i  See  author's  book  Salvation  for  extended  analysis  of 
these  passages. 


78  Grace 

rescues  a  sinner  from  the  lowest  depths  of  human 

^^.^^rr 

standing,   and   transforms,    preserves,   and   presents 

that  sinner  in  the  highest  eternal  glory.  At  infinite 
cost,  God  has  made  Himself  Tree  WcfiToK  of  this.  His 
unmeasured  love  will  suffer  Him  to  do  no  less  in 
behalf  of  every  one  who  comes  to  Him  through  His 
Son.  Divine  grace  is  God's  all.  It  is  the  expression 
of  the  last  degree  of  His  love.  In  no  sense  could 
He  exercise  a  part  of  His  grace.  It  must  be  all  or 
none.  He  must  save  perfectly  for  all  time  and  eter- 
nity, or  not  at  all.  There  is  no  other  salvation  offered 
in  the  Word  of  God. 

Failure  to  trust  in  Christ  alone  is  disclosed  when 
salvation  is  supposed  to  depend  on  anything  other 
than  believing  in  Christ,  and  when  security  is  made 
to  depend  at  any  point  whatsoever  on  human  faith- 
fulness. Men  are  saved  and  kept  in  sovereign  grace 
through  simple  faith  in  Christ  alone.  This  is  the 
heart  of  the  Gospel  of  divine  grace.  If  any  other 
Gospel  than  his  be  preached,  it  must  fall  under  the 
urn-evoked  anathema  of  God  (Gal.  1:8,  9). 

The  zeal  engendered  by  modern  religious  move- 
ments which  are  even  accompanied  with  signs  and 
wonders  is  no  guaranty  of  sound  doctrine.  The  en- 
thusiasts responsible  for  these  movements  almost  uni- 
versally deny  that  salvation  is  by  simple  faith  in 
Christ,  and  that  the  grace  of  God  will  keep  those  who 
are  saved  as  His  own  forever.  Those  who  discredit 
the  absolute  reign  of  grace  in  the  salvation  and  keep- 
ing of  a  soul,  should  ponder  well  the  fact  that  there 
is  no  other  way  of  salvation. 

We  have  thus  complete  evidence  that  the  eternal 
purposes  of  God  in  grace  are  unalterable,  since  His 


Safe-Keeping  in  Grace  79 

keeping  power  through  grace  is  included  in  every  con- 
sideration of  the  principles  of  grace,  His  keeping 
power  is  implied  in  every  revelation  in  which  is  pre- 
sented the  truth  that  grace  reaches  into  the  coming 
ages  for  its  consummation,  and  His  keeping  power 
is  indicated  by  the  manifold  provisions  and  safe- 
guards which  He  has  made  to  that  end.  Should 
His  eternal  purpose  fail  by  the  slightest  degree,  the 
object  of  salvation,  the  object  of  the  death  and  resur- 
rection of  Christ,  and  the  object  of  creation  itself, 
will  have  failed.  It  shall  not  fail;  for  the  mouth 
of  the  Lord  has  spoken  it. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  LIFE   UNDER   GRACE 

Introductive. 

The  salvation  in  grace  which  God  accomplishes  for 
,  those  who  believe  includes,  among  other  things,  the 
j  placing  of  the  saved  one  in  position  as  a  son  of  God, 
a  citizen  of  heaven,  and  a  member  of  the  family  and 
"^  household  of  God ;  and,  since  every  position  demands 
a  corresponding  manner  of  life,  it  is  to  be  expected 
that  a  rule  of  conduct  as  exalted  as  heaven  itself 
will  be  committed  to  the  believer.  This  is  precisely 
what  we  find;  for  grace  not  only  provides  a  perfect 
salvation  and  eternal  keeping  for  the  one  who  be- 
lieves on  Christ;  but  grace  provides,  as  well,  the  in- 
struction for  the  daily  life  of  the  one  who  is  saved, 
while  he  is  being  kept  through  the  power  of  God.  This 
instruction  for  the  daily  life,  it  will  be  found,  is  a 
particular  revelation  from  God  to  Christians  only.  As 
it  is  wholly  gracious  in  character,  it  is  entirely  sep- 
arate from,  and  independent  of,  any  other  rule  of  life 
which  is  found  in  the  Word  of  God.  The  Bible,  being 
the  one  Book  from  God  for  all  people  of  all  the 
ages,  contains  the  detailed  expression  of  the  will  of 
God  concerning  the  manner  of  life  of  various  dis- 
pensational  classes  of  people  as  they  are  related  to 
God  in  different  periods  of  time,  and  under  the  sev- 
eral corresponding  covenants.  Among  these  rev- 

80 


The  Life  under  Grace  81 

elations,  is  the  rule  of  conduct  regarding  the  daily 
life  of  those  who  are  saved  by  grace  in  this  dis- 
pensation which  occupies  the  time  between  the  cross 
and  the  second  coming  of  Christ.  This  gracious  rule 
of  life  is  complete  in  itself  and  stands  alone  in  the 
Scriptures,  disassociated  from  any  other  and  uncom- 
plicated. It  is  the  teachings  of  grace. 

The  remainder  of  this  discussion  will  be  occupied, 
in  the  main,  with  the  identification  and  application  of 
the  extended  body  of  Scripture  relative  to  the  teach- 
ings of  grace.  The  value  of  knowing  this  revelation 
cannot  be  estimated,  (1)  because  no  Christian  may 
hope  to  live  well-pleasing  to  God  who  does  not  know 
the  facts  of  the  revealed  will  of  God  for  his  daily 
life,  and  (2)  because  appalling  ignorance  exists  on 
every  hand  concerning  these  vital  truths  and  distinc- 
tions of  the  Word  of  God. 

No  careful  reader  of  the  New  Testament  can  fail  to 
observe  the  fact  that  doctrinal  strife  obtained  at  the 
very  opening  of  the  Christian  dispensation,, .  This 
controversy  was  concerned  mainly  with  the  question 
of  whether  law  or  grace  furnishes  the  governing 
principle  for  Christian  conduct.  Although  the 
New  Testament  contains  specific  and  lengthy  warnings 
against  both  the  legalizers  and  their  teachings,  and 
their  systems  are  therein  proven  to  be  opposed  to  the 
doctrines  of  pure  grace,  their  successors  from  genera- 
tion to  generation  to  the  present  time  have  ever 
sought  to  discredit  the  grace  of  God.  Their  messages, 
though  steeped  in  error,  have  often  exhibited  great 
zeal  and  sincerity;  but  zeal  and  sincerity,  greatly  to 
be  desired  when  well  directed,  fail  utterly  in  God's 
sight  as  substitutes  for  a  consistent  presentation  of 


82  Grace 

the  truth.  The  only  hope  of  deliverance  from  the 
false  doctrines  of  legalizing  teachers  is  through  un- 
prejudiced consideration  of  the  exact  revelations  of 
Scripture.  This  examination  of  the  Scriptures  should 
be  free  from  a  blind  following  of  the  teachings  of 
men,  and  should  be  made  with  a  heart  willing  to  re- 
ceive "reproof"  and  "correction"  from  the  Word  of 
God  as  well  as  "instruction  in  righteousness"  (2  Tim. 
3:16).  Only  the  one  to  whom  these  teachings  are 
crystal  clear  can  appreciate  the  transcendent  value 
of  understanding  the  teachings  of  grace. 

In  presenting  this  introductory  consideration  of 
the  extensive  theme  of  the  teachings  of  grace,  it  is 
necessary  in  some  instances  to  assume  conclusions  the 
fuller  proof  of  which  are  taken  up  in  subsequent 
treatments  of  the  discussion.  Likewise,  in  complet- 
ing the  various  lines  of  argument,  repetition  at  cer- 
tain points  is  unavoidable. 


THE    LIFE    UNDER    GRACE 

(continued) 

SECTION  ONE 
GRACE   PROVIDES  A   PARTICULAR  RULE  OP   LIFE 

In  chapter  2  of  the  Epistle  by  Paul  to  Titus,  be- 
ginning at  verse  11,  we  read:  "For  the  grace  of 
God  that  bringeth  salvation  hath  appeared  to  all 
men,  teaching  us  that,  denying  ungodliness  and 
worldy  lusts,  we  should  live  soberly,  righteously,  and 
godly,  muftis  present  world  [age]  ;  looking  for  that 
blessed  hope,  and  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  great 
God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  who  gave  himself 
for  us,  that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity, 
and  purify  unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous 
of  good  works. ' ' 

Two  widely  different  ministries  of  grace  are  set 
forth  in  this  passage: 

First,  the  grace  of  God  which  bringeth  salvation 
hath  appeared  unto  all  men.  This,  it  is  clear,  refers 
to  the  saving  grace  of  God  which  has  come  into  the 
world  by  Christ  Jesus,  and  is  now  to  be  proclaimed  to 
all  men.  It  is  a  message  for  all  men,  since  its  pro- 
visions are  universal  and  its  invitation  is  to  "whoso- 
ever will."  Grace  upon  grace  is  bestowed  both  now 
and  unto  the  consummation  of  the  ages  upon  those 
who  believe. 

Second,  the  passage  reveals,  as  well,  that  it  is  the 

83 


84  Grace 

same  grace  which  has  brought  salvation  to  all  men, 
that  teaches  "us."  The  word  us,  it  should  be  ob- 
served, does  not  refer  to  the  wider  class  of  all  men 
mentioned  before;  but  it  refers  only  to  the  company 
of  those  who  are  saved.  The  importance  of  this 
distinction  is  evident;  for  whatever  grace  proposes 
to  teach,  its  teachings  are  addressed  only  to  those  who 
are  saved  by  grace.  This  qualifying  aspect  of  the 
>  teachings  of  grace  is  not  limited  to  this  one  passage, 
though  that  would  suffice ;  it  is  an  out-standing  char- 
acteristic of  the  whole  body  of  grace  teachings  as  they 
appear  throughout  the  New  Testament.  These  teach- 
ings, being  addressed  to  Christians  only,  are  never 
intended  to  be  imposed  on  the  Christ-rejecting  in- 
dividual, or  the  Christ-rejecting  world.  This  fact 
cannot  be  emphasized  too  forcibly.  The  word  of 
God  makes  no  appeal  to  the  unsaved  for  a  betterment 
of  life.  There  is  but  one  issue  in  this  dispensation 
between  Qod^  and  the  unregenerate  man,  and  that  is 
neither  character  nor  £0jn4uct ;  it  is  the  personal  ap- 
peal of  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God.  Until  the 
unsaved  receive  Christ,  who  is  God's  gift  in  grace, 
no  other  issue  can  be  raised.  Men  may  moralize 
among  themselves,  and  establish  their  self-govern- 
ments on  principles  of  right  conduct;  but  God  is 
never  presented  in  the  unfoldings  of  grace  as  seek- 
ing tOL_r_eform  sinners.  Every  word  regarding  the 
quality  of  life  is  reserved  for  those  who  are  already 
rightly  related  to  Him  on  the  greater  issues  of  sal- 
vation. 

Could  it  be  demonstrated  that  God  has  made  the 
slightest  moral  appeal  to  the  unregenerate  other 
than  that  which  is  implied  in  the  Gospel  invitation, 


The  Life  under  Grace  85 

then  it  must  be  admitted  that,  should  that  moral  ap- 
peal be  complied  with  by  any  individual,  that  in- 
dividual would  have  moved  nearer  to  God.  The 
works  of  man  would  become  meritorious,  and  thereby 
a  third  classification  of  humanity  would  be  created, 
standing  somewhere  between  those  who  are  "under 
sin''  and  those  who  are  "in  Christ,"  or  "under 
grace."  In  this  age,  no  such  intermediate  group  of 
"people  is  possible.  If  such  a  class  existed,  they  could 
not  be  saved ;  for  they  would  no  longer  be  fit  objects 
of  grace.  Men  are  either  lost  and  condemned  "un- 
der sin,"  or  wholly  and  eternally  saved  by  grace  in 
Christ  Jesus.  The  common  practice  of  presenting 
the  great  standards  of  Christian  living  indiscrimin- 
ately to  mixed  congregations  by  preaching,  and*  to 
people  in  general  through  public  print,  is  a  tragedy 
of  infinite  proportions.  If  the  unsaved  are  present 
when  the  teachings  of  grace  are  discussed,  there 
should  be  a  Gospel  appeal  made  by  which  the  un- 
saved are  classified  and  excluded  from  any  share 
in  those  teachings.  Apart  from  this  appeal,  it  is 
impossil-i-.'  1o  save  the  nnrcgenerate  from  receiving 
the  impression  that  God  is  now  seeking  their  refor- 
mation before  He  seeks  their  regeneration.  Nothing 
is  more  wholesome  for  the  unsaved~tKanTovingly  to  be 
reminded  that  they,  according  to  the  Word  of  God, 
have  no  part  in  the  Christian  life,  and  that  they  are 
shut  up  to  the  acceptance  of  Christ.  Saving  results 
are  sure  to  follow  the  continued,  clean-cut,  discrim- 
inating preaching  of  the  "Word  in  its  right  appli- 
cation to  both  the  saved  and  the  unsaved.  It  is 
alarming  to  the  unsaved  to  be  warned  that  they  are 
lost  until  they  receive  Christ,  and  such  faithful 


86  Grace 

preaching,  being  the  Truth  of  God,  is  owned  and 
used  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 

Nothing  need  be  said  here  of  the  crime  against 
high  heaven  which  is  committed  by  men  who  are 
purposely  urging  moral  betterment  on  the  unsaved 
in  lieu  of  the  Gospel  of  grace.  The  unrevoked  an- 
athema of  God  rests  upon  them;  "But  though  we, 
or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  any  other  gospel 
unto  you  than  that  which  we  have  preached  unto 
you,  let  him  be  accursed.  As  we  said  before,  so 
say  I  now  again,  If  any  man  preach  any  other  gos- 
pel unto  you  than  that  ye  have  received,  let  him  be 
accursed"  (Gal.  1:8,  9).  There  is  a  possibility,  how- 
ever, that,  through  carelessness  or  ignorance,  some, 
whose  intentions  are  good,  may  make  the  same  fatal 
error  in  presenting  God's  Truth.  As  certainly  as 
the  exercise  of  pure  gra£&~is  the  supreme  divine 
purpose  unto  the  eternal  glory,  so  certainly  to  hinder 
an  understanding  of  that  grace,  or  to  mislead  one 
soul  by  a  misstatement,  is  the  supreme  blunder. 
How  momentous  is  the  practice  of  preaching  and  of 
personal  work,  both  for  those  who  hear  and  for  those 
who  speak!  Well  might  the  high  crime  of  dealing 
damnation  to  the  souls  of  men  in  the  name  of  Chris- 
tian preaching  be  treated,  from  a  mere  humanitarian 
viewpoint,  with  a  thousand-fold  greater  penalty  than 
the  crime  of  dealing  deadly  poison  to  the  bodies  of 
men.  Sinners  are  to  be  saved  by  grace.  It  is  Sa- 
tan's device  to  complicate  this  simple  fact  with  the 
lesser  issues  of  Christian  living. 

The  teachings  of  grace,  it  will  be  found,  comprise 
all  of  the  teachings  of  the  Epistles,  the  Acts,  and 
also  certain  portions  of  the  Gospels  apart  from  their 


The  Life  under  Grace  87 

mere  historical  features.  Returning  to  the  passage 
already  quoted  from  Titus,  we  discover  that  only  a 
portion  of  the  whole  appeal  of  the  teachings  of  grace 
are  mentioned  in  this  Scripture;  but  here  the  be- 
liever is  taught  that  he  is  to  deny  ungodliness  and 
worldly  lusts,  and  to  live  soberly,  righteously,  godly, 
and  looking  for  the  personal  return  of  his  Lord 
from  heaven.  This  describes  a  life  of  peculiar  devo- 
tion and  sweetness.  Thus  would  God  "purify 
unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good 
works. ' ' 

According  to  the  Scriptures,  Christians  are  con- 
fronted with  a  two-fold  danger:  On  the  one  hand, 
they  may  go  in  the  way  of  the  jrresponsiblfi,  careless 
sin  of  the  Gentiles,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  they  may 
go  into  the  legality  of  the  Jews.  They  may  "walk 
as  do  the  Gentiles,"  or  they  may  "fall  from  grace." 
They  are  warned^  as  much  against  the  one  mistake 
as  against  the  other.  The  doctrines  of  grace  may 
be  so  perverted  that,  while  there  is  a  holy  horror  of 
slipping  into  careless  sin,  it  is  deemed  most  pious 
to  assume  the  cursing  burden  of  law.  The  teachings 
of  grace  give  equal  warning  agamst  the  sin  of  turn- 
ing either  in  the  way  of  Gentiles  or  in  the  way  of 
the  Jews. 

In  discovering  the  fact  and  scope  of  the  teachings 
of  grace,  it  will  be  noted  that,  (1)  The  Christian's 
daily  life  is  to  be  directed  only  by  the  teachings  of 
grace,  (2)  The  law  is  excluded  from  the  grace  teach- 
ings of  Christ,  (3)  The  law  is  excluded  from  the 
teachings  of  the  Apostles,  and  (4)  The  life  and  ser- 
vice of  the  Apostle  Paul  is  an  illustration  of  a  life 
which  is  lived  under  grace. 


88  Grace 


i.  THE  CHRISTIAN'S  DAILY  LIFE  is  TO  BE  DIRECTED 

ONLY  BY  THE  TEACHINGS  OP  GRACE. 

In  exact  accord  with  the  fact  that  Christians  are 
to  be  governed  only  by  the  teachings  of  grace,  the 
Biblical  appeal  in  grace  never  contemplates  an  ob- 
servance of  the  law.  Through  the  death  of  Christ, 
the  law  is  not  only  disannulled;  but,  as  a  rule  of 
life,  it  is  never  mentioned,  or  included  in  the  teach- 
ings of  grace.  It  is  rather  excluded.  The  believer 
is  to  walk  by  a  "rule,"  but  that  rule,  it  will  be  seen, 
is  never  an  adaptation  of  the  law  (Cf  Gal.  6 : 16 ; 
Phil.  3:16).  This  important  fact  should  be  care- 
fully verified  by  the  reading  of  all  the  Epistles. 
It  is  impossible  to  refer  here  to  this  extensive  body 
of  Scripture  beyond  a  very  few  illustrative  passages. 
In  the  following  Scriptures,  as  in  all  grace  teachings, 
the  law,  it  will  be  found,  is  not  once  applied  to  be- 
lievers : 

S  "For  we  are  his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ 
I   Jesus    unto    good    works,     which    God    hath    be- 
fore   ordained    that    we    should    walk    in    them" 
\(Eph.  2:10). 

"For  the  kingdom  of  God  is  not  meat  and  drink; 
but  righteousness,  and  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost.  For  he  that  in  these  things  serveth  Christ 
is  acceptable  to  God,  and  approved  of  men.  Let  us 
therefore  follow  after  the  things  which  make  for 
peace,  and  things  wherewith  one  may  edify  another" 
(Rom.  14:17-19). 

"And  this  I  pray,  that  your  love  may  abound  yet 


The  Life  under  Grace  89 

more  and  more  in  knowledge  and  in  all  judgment; 
that  ye  may  approve  things  that  are  excellent;  that  ye"  ) 
may  be  sincere  and  without  offence  till  the  day  of 
Christ;  being  filled  with  the  fruits  of  righteousness, 
which  are  by  Jesus  Christ,  unto  the  glory  and  praise 
of  God"  (Phil.  1:9-11). 

"Finally,  brethren,  whatsoever  things  are  true, 
whatsoever  things  are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are 
just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  / 
are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report;  if 
there  be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think 
on  these  things.  Those  things,  which  ye  have  both 
learned,  and  received,  and  heard,  and  seen  in  me, 
do:  and  the  God  of  peace  shall  be  with  you"  (Phil. 
4:8,9). 

"But  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the 
cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world 
is  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world.  For  in  fV*^ 
Christ  Jesus  neither  circumcision  availeth  anything, 
nor  uncircumcision,  but  a  new  creature  [creation]. 
And  as  many  as  walk  according  to  this  rule,  peace  be 
on  them,  and  mercy,  and  upon  the  Israel  of  God" 
(Gal.  6:14-16). 

"For  we  through  the  Spirit  wait  for  the  hope  of 
righteousness  by  faith.    For  in  Christ  Jesus  neither  ^ 
circumcision  availeth  anything,  nor  uncircumcision; 
but  faith  which  worketh  by  love"  (Gal.  5:5,  6.) 

"But  now  the  righteousness  of  God  without  the     *7 
law  is  manifested,  being  witnnessed  by  the  law  and   / 
the  prophets"  (Rom.  3:  21). 

"For  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness    fi 
to  every  one  that  believeth"  (Rom.  10:4).  O 


II 


90  Grace 

"But  put  ye  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  make 
/  no  provision  for  the  flesh,  to  fulfil  the  lusts  thereof" 
(Rom.  13:14). 

"False  brethren.  .  .  .who  came  in  privily  to  spy 
out  our  liberty  which  we  have  in  Christ  Jesus,  that 
they  might  bring  us  into  bondage:  to  whom  we  gave 
place  by  subjection,  no,  not  for  an  hour;  that  the 
truth  of  the  gospel  might  continue  with  you"  (Gal. 
2:4,5.) 

"For  it  seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  us, 
to  lay  upon  you  no  greater  burden  than  these  neces- 
sary things;  that  ye  abstain  from  meats  offered  to 
idols,  and  from  blood,  and  from  things  strangled, 
and  from  fornication:  from  which  if  ye  keep  your- 
selves, ye  shall  do  well"  (Acts.  15:28,  29). 

"As  touching  the  Gentiles  which  believe,  we  have 
written  and  concluded  that  they  observe  no  such 
things"  (issues  of  the  law.  Acts  21:25). 

"Stand  fast  therefore  in  the  liberty  wherewith 
Christ  hath  made  us  free,  and  be  not  entangled 
again  with  the  yoke  of  bondage"  (Gal.  5:1). 

By  these  passages,  selected  from  the  whole  body 
of  New  Testament  teaching  concerning  the  believer's 
walk  in  grace,  it  is  seen  that  the  teachings  of  grace 
do  not  include  the  precepts  of  the  law  as  such;  but 
that  they  exclude  those  precepts.  However,  no  vital 
principle  contained  in  the  law  is  abandoned.  It  will 
be  observed  that  these  principles  of  the  law  are 

«*•*•*•»• 

carried  forward  and  are  jcfi£ta.ted  in  the  teachings  of 
grace;  not  as  law,  but  as  j)rim'rpk'S  vrhich  are  re- 
vised, adapted,  and  newly  incorporated  in  the  issues 
of  pure  grace. 


The  Life  under  Grace  91 


H.      THE  LAW  IS  EXCLUDED  FROM  THE  GRACE  TEACH- 
INGS OF  CHRIST. 

Concerning  the  admixture  of  the  principles  of  law 
and  grace,  it  will  be  seen  that  these  principles  are 
wholly  separated  in  the  teachings  of  Christ.  Are 
Christians  to  keep  the  law  as  the  rule  of  their  con- 
duct either  because  of  a  command  from  Christ,  or 
because  of  the  example  of  Christ?  No  light  will  be 
gained  on  these  questions  until  the  two-fold  aspect 
of  the  ministry  of  Christ  is  distinguished.  Accord- 
ing to  Rom.  15 :  8,  9,  Christ  was,  first,  ' '  a  minister 
of  the  circumcision  for  the  truth  of  God,  to  confirm 
the  promises  made  unto  the  fathers";  and,  second, 
"that  the  Gentiles  might  glorify  God  for  his  mercy." 
This  two-fold  distinction  obtains  at  every  point  in 
the  Gospels  and  Epistles.  So,  also,  it  obtains  in  the 
Old  Testament  types  and  prophecies  relating  to 
Christ.  Christ  sustained  a  particular  and  unique 
relation  to  the  nation  Israel  as  the  One  who  fulfilled 
the  great  Messianic  covenants  given  to  that  people. 
At  the  opening  of  His  ministry  He  said,  "I  am  not 
sent  but  unto  the^Jgst^ sheep^ of  the  house  of  Israel 
(Mt.  15 : 24) ;  and  when,  at  the  same  time,  sending 
His  disciples  out  with  the  Jewish  message  of  "th 
kingdom  of  heaven,"  He  instructed  them,  sayi 
"Go  not  into  the  way  of  the  Gentiles,  and  into  any 
city  of  the  Samaritans  enter  ye  not :  but  go  rather  to 
the  iQStAtLeejg  of  the  house  of  Israel.  And  as  ye  go, 
preach,  saying,  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand" 
(.Mt.  10:f)-7).  As  a  Jew,  and  as  the  Consolation 
and  Hope  of  Israel,  He  personally  acknowledged, 


>9 


92  race 

kept,  taught,  and  enforced  the  law.  As  the  Saviour 
and  Hope  of  the  world,  He  established  the  new  man- 
ner of  life  and  relationship  which  belongs  to  the  be- 
liever under  grace.  Speaking  to  the  Jewish  ruler, 
Christ  said:  "If  thou  wilt  enter  into  life,  keep  the 
commandments"  (Mt.  19:17).a  True  to  the  Jewish 
dispensation,  He  said  with  reference  to  the  law  of 
Moses:  "This  do  and  thou  shalt  live";  but  when 
contemplating  the  cross  and  Himself  as  the  bread 
come  down  from  heaven  to  give  His  life  for  the 
world,  He  said:  "This  is  the  work  of  God,  that  ye 
believe  on  him  whom  he  [God]  hath  sent"  (John 
6:29).  These  opposing  principles  are  not  to  be 
reconciled.  They  indicate  that  fundamental  distinc- 
tion which  must  exist  between  those  principles  that 
obtain  in  an  age  of  law,  on  the  one  hand,  and  an  age 
of  grace,  on  the  other  hand. 

Wn"aT  interpretation  should  be  given,  then,  to  the 
word  commandments  as  used  by  Christ  or  as  related 
to  Christ,  according  to  the  following  passages:  "If 
ye  love  me,  keep  my  commandments";  "He  that 
hath  my  commandments,  and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is 
that  loveth  me";  "If  ye  keep  my  commandments, 
ye  shall  abide  in  my  love";  "And  hereby  we  do 

i  In  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  life,  it  should  be  noted,  is  some- 
times that  aspect  of  divine  blessing  which  is  provided  for 
those  who  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaygn  (Note  Mt.  18:  1-10; 
25:  31-46),  and  being  somewhaT~Sifferent,  should  not  be  con- 
fused with  the  present  gift  of  God,  which  is  eternal  life 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  One  was  offered,  and  is 
yet  to  be  granted,  on  the  basis  of  faithful,  law-keeping 
works:  the  other  is  gained  only  through  the  grac&"whlcTi"is 
by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  One  is  provided  for  the  age  to 
come  (Lk.  18:  30).  The  other  is  a  present  possession;  for  He 
has  said:  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting 
life"  (John  3:  36). 


The  Life  under  Grace  93 

know  that  we  know  him,  if  we  keep  his  command- 
ments"; "And  whatsoever  we  ask,  we  receive  of 
him,  because  we  keep  his  commandments,  and  do 
those  things  that  are  pleasing  in  his  sight 
"He  that  keepeth  his  commandments  dwelleth  in 
him,  and  he  in  him";  "By  this  we  know  that  we 
love  the  children  of  God,  when  we  love  God,  and 
keep  his  commandments";  "Teaching  them  to  ob- 
serve all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you ' ' ; 
and,  "Blessed  are  they  that  do  his  commandments" 
(John  14:15,  21;  15:10;  1  John  2:3;  3:22,  24; 
5:2;  Mt.  28 :  20 ;  Rev.  22 : 14)  ?  Is  Christ  here  re- 
quiring the  commandments  as  given  by  Moses? 

In  considering  this  crucial  question,  it  should  be 
noted  that,  when  dealing_with  Jews  as  such,  He  gave 
no  "  commandmentsTr~bf  His  own  relative  to  the 
rule  of  their  lives.  He  recognized  only  the  law  of 
Moses  and  the  law  of  the  kingdom.  In  matters  of 
life-relationship  to  God  Ho  said,  "What  roadest 
thou  in  the  law?";  but  when  He  began  to  instruct 
those  who  were  saved  by  grace  through  His  cross, 
He  began  to  announce  what  He  was  pleased  to  term 
"my  commandments."  This  term  is  not  found  in 
all  the  Gospels  until  the  record  is  given  of  His  fare- 
well words  in  the  upper  room  on  the  night  before 
His  death  (John,  chapters  13-17). *  This  is  most 
significant;  for  it  is  evident  that  the  upper-room 
discourse  was  addressed,  not  to  Israelites,  but  to 
those  who  were  "clean"  through  the  word  He  had 
spoken  to  them.  In  this  portion  of  the  Scriptures, 
the  cross  is  treated  as  an  accomplished  fact  (John 

iMt.  28:  20  not  only  follows  the  cross,  in  point  of  time;  but 
also  follows  the  forty-days  post-resurrection  teaching  con- 
cerning the  kingdom  of  God  as  recorded  in  Acts  1 :  3. 


94  Grace 

16:11.  Cf  12:31);  the  whole  body  of  teaching  is 
dated  by  Christ  beyond  the  cross  by  the  words, 
"And  now  I  have  told  you  before  it  come  to  pass, 
that,  when  it  is  come  to  pass,  ye  might  believe" 
(14:29)  ;  and,  finally,  the  only  reference  to  the  law 
in  this  great  message  of  the  upper  room  is  so  stated 
as  to  place  those  Jews  to  whom  He  was  speaking  out- 
side its  authority:  "But  this  cometh  to  pass,  that 
the  word  might  be  fulfilled  that  is  written  in  their 
[not  your]  law"  (John  15:25). 

The  upper-room  discourse  is  the  genesis  of  the 
Epistles  of  the  New  Testament;  for  in  it,  in  germ 
form,  the  great  doctrines  of  grace  are  announced. 
The  phrase  my  commandments  is  reserved  until  this 
grace-revelation,  because  this  term  refers  to  the 
teachings  of  grace,  rather  than  to  the  law. 

Added  proof  that  the  term,  my  commandments,  re- 
fers to  the  teachings  of  grace  may  be  seen  when  the 
passages  which  indicate  the  character  of  His  com- 
mandments are  considered.  Some  of  these  are: 
"A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  That^vje  JLOVJJ 
one  another;  as  I  have  loved  you";  "This  is  my 
commandment,  That  ye  love  one  another,  as  I  have 
loved  you";  "And  this  is  his  commandment,  That 
we  should  JjeJUgje  on  the  name  of  his  Son  Jesus 
S^  Christ,  and^love^one  another,  as  he  gave  command- 
ments"; "And  this  commandment  have  we  from 

/»        him,    That    he    who    loveth    God    love    his    brother 
3  '"        '  * 

also";  "For  this  is  the  love  of  God,  that  we  keep 

his  commandments:  and  his  commandments  are  not 
grievous";1    "I  rejoice  greatly  that  I  found  of  thy 

i  This  could  not  be  said  of  the  law  of  Moses;  for  of  that  law 
it  is  written:     "Now  therefore  why  tempt  ye  God,  to  put  a 


The  Life  under  Grace  95 

children  walking  in  truth,  as  we  have  received  a 
commandment  from  the  Father.  And  now  I  be- 
seech thee,  lady,  not  as  though  I  wrote  a  new  com- 
mandment unto  thee,  but  that  which  we  had  from  the 
beginning,  that  we  love  one  another."  To  this  the 
Apostle  Paul  has  added  a  testimony  concerning  the 
commandments  of  the  Lord.  By  the  testimony  of 
Paul,  the  whole  teaching  of  grace,  as  set  forth  by 
himself,  is  related  to  the  commandments  of  the  Lord : 
"If  any  man  think  himself  to  be  a  prophet,  or  spirit- 
ual, let  him  acknowledge  that  the  things  that  I  write 
unto  you  are  the  commandments  of  the  Lord"; 
"For  ye  know  what  commandments  we  gave  you  by 
the  Lord  Jesus";  "Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens, 
and  so  fulfil  the  law  of  Christ"  (John  13:  34,  15: 12; 
1  John  3:  23;  4:21;  5:  3;  2  John  4:  5;  1  Cor.  14:37; 
1  Thes.  4:2;  Gal.  6:2). 

The  "commandments"  of  Christ  are  not,  there- 
fore, the  law,  or  any  aspect  of  the  law;  they  rather 
constitute  "the  law  of  love,"  and  "the  perfect  law 
of  liberty."  They  enter  into  the  teachings  of  grace 
as  those  teachings  are  set  forth  by  Christ,  and  by 
those  to  whom  He  gave  authority  and  command- 
ment (Mt.  28:18;  Acts  1:3;  Lk.  24:46-48;  Heb. 
2:3,  4). 

yoke  upon  the  neck  of  the  disciples,  which  neithei  our 
fathers  nor  we  were  able  to  bear?"  (Acts  15:  10).  Reference 
is  here  made  to  the  law  of  Moses,  and  to  place  it  on  the 
children  of  grace  is  to  "tempt  God."  It  is  an  unbearable 
"yoke";  but  Christ  said,  when  anticipating  the  relation- 
ships of  grace,  "My  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  light" 
(Mt.  11:30).  Christians  are  not  to  be  "entangled"  with 
the  "yoke  of  bondage"  (Gal.  5:  1).  So,  also,  the  "old 
commandment"  of  1  John  2:7,  is,  in  3:  11,  seen  to  be  the 
same  message  of  grace. 


g6  Grace 


HI.      THE    LAW   IS    EXCLUDED    PROM    THE    TEACHINGS 
OF   THE  APOSTLES. 

Prom  the  teaching  of  the  Apostles  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  principles  of  law  and  grace  are  not  to  be 
mixed.  There  can  be  no  question  but  that  their 
teachings  are  exactly  according  to  Christ's  message 
concerning  grace.  As  an  example,  and  in  harmony 
with  the  teaching  of  all  the  Apostles,  it  may  be  ob- 
served that  the  Apostle  Pau^ spoke  by  the  authority 
of  Christ  (1  Tim.  1:1;  Tit.  1:3;  1  Thes.  4:15; 
1  Cor.  15:3;  Gal.  1:11,  12;  Eph.  3:1-11).  It  is 
equally  evident  that  he  contended  only  for  the  bles- 
sings of  pure  grace.  At  no  point  would  he  suffer 
the  principle  of  law  to  intrude.  The  Jewish  ele- 
ment in  the  early  church  was  slow  to  abandon  the 
law,  and  there  is  evidence  that,  by  the  provisions 
of  men,  a  double_standard  was  suffered  to  exist  for 
a  time — one,  a  legality~Tor  the  Jews,  and  the  other, 
pure  grace  for  the  Gentiles.  This  fact  of  a  double 
standard  is  revealed  in  connection  with  the  first 
council  of  the  church  in  Jerusalem  (Acts  15 : 19-21. 
Cf  21:18-26);  but  the  Apostle  Paul  never  counte- 
nanced this  double  standard  (Rom.  1:16,  17).  The 
change  from  law  to  grace  was  revolutionary,  and  the 
age-long  covenant  of  works  did  not  readily  yield  to 
the  new  teachings  of  grace,  nor  has  it  wholly  yielded 
to  this  day.  There  are  some  who,  ignorant  of  the 
dispensational  divisions  of  God's  Word,  and  seeking 
to  qualify  the  clear  grace  teachings  of  the  Apostle 
Paul,  are  encouraging  themselves  in  legalism  on  the 
strength  of  the  fact  that  Christ  kept  and  vindicated 


The  Life  under  Grace  97 

the  law  in  the  days  of  His  particular  ministry  to 
Israel.  The  teaching  of  these  legalists  is  a  circum- 
vention of  the  whole  revelation  of  divine  grace. 


IV.      THE    PERSONAL    EXPERIENCE    OF     THE    APOSTLE 
PAUL  IS  AN  ILLUSTRATION  OF  THE  TEACHINGS  OF  GRACE. 


Spirit  has  prompted  the 
exhortation  to  believers    f  /ft 
1  Cor.  ^6;  11:1;  PhU.^^/ 
L  J>8  Jj  y.    This  appeal     / 


The  personal  position  and  practice  of  the  Apostle 
Paul  is  evidence  that  the  principles  of  law  and  grace 
should  not  be  mixed.  The  Spirit  has  prompted  the 
Apostle  to  make  a  six-fold 
to  be  followers  of  himself  (1 
8:17;  1  Thes.  1  ;  6  ;  2  Thes. 
was  warranted  because  his  doctrine  was  revealed  to 
him  from  Christ  (Gal.  1:11,  12;  Eph.  3:1-10),  and 
was  in  fact,  therefore,  the  very  teachings  of  Christ; 
because  he  was  an  Apostle;  and  because  his  own  at- 
titude toward  Judaism  and  his  own  experience  was  a 
living  illustration  of  the  power  of  a  life  in  grace. 

The  Epistles  of  Paul  are  an  uncompromising  pro- 
test against  the  intrusion  of  law,  or  any  phase  of 
law,  into  the  reign  of  grace.  Among  very  many 
Scriptures,  there  is  one  passage  in  particular  which 
reveals  the  Apostle's  own  position.  Speaking  of  his 
hope  of  a  reward  because  of  faithful  service,  he  pro- 
ceeds to  describe  the  details  of  that  service.  In 
this  connection  he  is  incidentally  led  to  disclose  his 
own  position  at  that  time,  as  compared  to  other  pos- 
sible positions  before  God.  We  read:  "For  though 
I  be  free  from  all  men,  yet  have  I  made  myself  serv- 
ant unto  all,  that  I  might  gain  the  more.  And  unto 
the  Jews  I  became  as  a  Jew,  that  I  might  gain  the 
Jews;  to  them  that  are  under  the  law,  as  under  the 


98  Grace 

law,  that  I  might  gain  them  that  are  under  the  law; 
to  them  that  are  without  law,  as  without  law,  (being 
not  without  law  to  God,  but  under  the  law  to  Christ), 
that  I  might  gain  them  that  are  without  law"  (1  Cor. 
9 : 19-21 ) .  These  various  relationships  should  be 
considered : 

First.  "And  unto  the  Jews  I  became  as  a  Jew, 
that  I  might  gain  the  Jews." 

Was  not  the  Apostle  a  Jew?  Did  he  not  make 
that  his  boast  (Phil.  3:4,  5)?  He  was  a  Jew  by 
origin,  birth,  and  training;  but  when  he  became 
saved  by  grace  he  passed  over  onto  new  ground  where 
there  "is  neither  Greek  nor  Jew,  circumcision  nor 
uncircumcision,  Barbarian,  Scythian,  bond  nor  free: 
but  Christ  is  all,  and  in  all"  (Col.  3:11).  In  like 
manner,  Gentiles  when  saved,  are  no  longer  Gentiles 
in  the  flesh:  "Wherefore  remember,  that  ye  being 
in  times  past  Gentiles  in  the  flesh,  .  .  .  .now  in 
Christ  Jesus  ye  who  sometimes  were  far  off  are  made 
nigh  by  the  blood  of  Christ"  (Eph.  2:11-13).  The 
new  creation  in  Christ  is  in  view  here.  Through 
the  new  birth  by  the  Spirit,  a  new  humanity  is  being 
formed,  and,  though  drawn  from  both  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles, it  is  neither  Jew  nor  Gentile;  it  is  the  Church 
of  God — the  redeemed  of  all  generations  from  Pen- 
tecost until  the  Lord  returns  for  His  own.  Accord- 
ing  to  lEe"SeripfuTtiH,  humanity  is  now  classified 
under  three  major  divisions:  "Give  none  offence, 
neither  to  the  Jews,  nor  to  the  Gentiles,  nor  to  the 
church  of  God"  (1  Cor.  10:  32).  The  Apostle  made 
an  effort  to  become  "as  a  Jew,  that  he  might  gain 
the  Jews."  Thus  he  left  his  own  position,  as  it 


The  Life  under  Grace  99 

were,  to  adapt  himself  to  the  position  of  the  Jew.  To 
what  length  he  went,  it  is  not  revealed.  As  regard- 
ing himself,  it  is  clear,  however,  that  he  everywhere 
disclaimed  every  Jewish  relation  to  God.  There  are 
very  many  questions  which  might  be  discussed  be- 
tween a  Jew  and  a  Christian ;  but  the  Apostle  passed 
these  by  that  he  might  get  to  the  heart  of  the 
Jew  with  the  one  issue  of  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of 
God. 

Second.  "To  them  that  are  under  the  law,  as  un- 
der the  law,  that  I  might  gain  them  that  are  under 
the  law." 

While  it  is  evident  that  the  law  was  never  ad- 
dressed to  any  outside  the  one  nation  Israel,  and  also  N 
that,  since  the  death  of  Christ,  no  Jew,  Gentile,  or 
Christian  is  now  under  the  law  either  for  justifica- 
tion, or  as  a  rule  of  life  (which  statement  will  re- 
ceive fuller  proof  at  another  place),  there  was  a  mul- 
titude of  people  in  Paul's  day,  both  Jews  and  Chris- 
tians, as  there  are  to-day,  who  have  placed  them- 
selves under  the  law.  This  does  not  suggest  that 
God  has  placed  them  there,  or  that  He  recognizes 
them  as  standing  in  their  self-imposed  position. 
However,  having  assumed  a  position  under  law  they 
are  morally  obligated  to  "do  the  whole  law"  in  the 
interests  of  consistency.  It  is  not  a  mere  repetition, 
then,  when  the  Apostle  makes  reference  first  to  the 
Jews  and  then  to  those  that  are  under  the  law.  The 
important  point  to  be  observed  here  is  that  the  Apos- 
tle did  not  consider  himself  to  be  under  the  Jawj 
for  he  represents  himself  as  leaving  his  own  position 
that  he  might  approach  the  man  who  is  under  the 


loo  Grace 

law.  "What  endless  discussions  might  he  have  waged 
with  the  one  who  was  under  the  law!  He  set  all 
these  questions  aside  that  he  might  rather  present 
the  more  vitally  important  blessings  of  grace.  The 
supreme  issue  was  not,  and  is  not,  one  of  correcting 
the  outward  life  by  the  application  of  one  rule  or 
another:  it  was,  and  is,  one  of  believing  on  Christ 
unto  salvation  by  grace.  When  that  is  accomplished, 
and  because  of  the  very  character  of  salvation,  the 
saved  one,  of  necessity,  is  subject  only  to  the  govern- 
ing principles  of  grace. 

Third.  "To  them  that  are  without  law,  as  with- 
out law,  .  .  .  that  I  might  gain  them  that  are  with- 
out law." 

Thus  the  Apostle  implies  that,  as  to  the  rule  of 
his  life,  he  is  not  "without  law."  The  class  re- 
ferred to  as  being  "without  law"  is  not  the  heathen 
to  whom  no  missionary  has  ever  gone;  it  refers, 
rather,  to  the  great  Gentile  world  to  whom  the  law 
was  never  addressed.  To  these  the  Apostle  went, 
acknowledging  as  he  went,  that  he,  as  a  Christian, 
had  no  part  with  the  lawless  and  ungoverned. 

Fourth.  "Not  being  without  law  to  God,  but  un- 
der the  law  [literally,  inlawed]  to  Christ." 

Here  the  Apostle  reveals  the  exact  truth  as  to  his 
own  relation  to  God  as  a  Christian.  It  is  unfor- 
tunate that  the  theological  discussion  which  has  pro- 
ceeded on  the  supposition  that  a  Christian  must 
either  be  under  Jhe  law  of  Moses,  or  else  be  absolutely 
lawless  and  ungoverned,  could  not  have  made  place 
for  the  fact  that  there  is  a  third  ground  of  relation- 


The  Life  under  Grace 


101 


ship  to  God  which  is  neither  the  law  of  Moses,  nor 
the  ungoverned  lawlessness  of  the  world.  To  be 
"inlawed  to  Christ"  is  to  be  under  the  teachings  of 
grace  as  a  rule  of  life.  These  teachings  include  the 
"commandments"  of  Christ  which  are  addressed  to 
Christians  as  such  in  the  upper  room,  and  these 
"commandments"  of  Christ  have  been  taken  up,  en- 
larged, and  advanced,  under  the  guidance  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  book  of  the  Acts  and  the  Epistles  of 
the  New  Testament.  They  constitute  a  separate  and 
sufficient  rule  of  life  for  the  believer  which  is 
divinely  adapted  to  his  position  in  grace,  and  these 
great  governing  principles  of  grace  are  addressed  to 
the  believer  alone,  and  not  to  the  Christ-rejecting 
world.  The  message  of  God  to  the  unsaved  world 
is  that  they  believe  on  the  Saviour  who  is  offered  to 
them  in  limitless  grace.  The  message  to  the  saved 
is  that  they  "walk  worthy"  of  the  calling  where- 
with they  are  called. 


THE  LITE  UNDER  GRACE 

(continued) 

SECTION  TWO 
THE   TEACHINGS   OF   THE  LAW 

In  seeking  an  understanding  of  the  teachings  of 
grace,  it  is  necessary  to  give  due  consideration  to  the 
teachings  of  the  law ;  for,  according  to  the  Scriptures, 
the  latter,  with  its  covenant  of  works,  is  the  one  prin- 
ciple which  is  opposed  to  the  teachings  of  grace. 
The  law  may  be  considered  in  a  three-fold  way:  (1) 
As  to  the  meaning  of  the  word  law^as  used  in  the 
Bible;  (2)  As  to  the  relation  the  law  sustains  to 
the  time  of  its  reign;  and,  (3)  As  to  the  applica- 
tion of  the  law. 

I.  AS  TO  THE  MEANING  OF  THE  WORD  LAW  AS  USED 
IN  THE  SCRIPTURES. 

The  foundation  of  all  divine  law  is  the  Person  of 
God.  What  He  requires  is  only  the  expression  of 
what  He  is.  Since  He  is  holy,  just  and  good,  His 
ideals,  standards  and  requirements  must  be  holy, 
just  and  good.  The  ideals  and  ways  of  fallen  men 
are,  of  necessity,  far  removed  from  these  divine 
standards  which  reflect  the  character  of  God.  Com- 
parison of  these  two  standards  has  ever  demonstrated 
the  measure  of  human  failure.  Throughout  the  his- 

102 


The  Life  under  Grace  103 

tory  of  God's  dealings  with  the  world  this  comparison 
has  brought  into  bold  relief  the  unmeasured  gulf-, 
which  exists  between  God  and  man,  between  holiness    \ 
and  sin,  and  the  complementary  revelation  of  the      I 
divine  compassion  which  led  God  to  bridge  that  gulf/—' 

The  word  law,  as  commonly  used,  means  a  rule 
which  regulates  conduct.  It  naturally  implies  the 
adequate  authority  and  power  on  the  part  of  the 
law-giver  for  its  enforcement,  and  the  proper  penalty 
to  be  inflicted  in  case  of  its  violation.  The  use  of  the 
word  in  the  Bible  is,  however,  much  wider  than  its 
common  usage.  At  least  a  seven-fold  use  of  the 
word  law  is  found  in  the  Word  of  God. 

First,  The  Ten  Commandments. 

The  Ten  Commandments  have  the  peculiar  distinc- 
tion of  having  been  written  by  the  finger  of  God  on 
tables  of  stone.  They  are  therefore  the  direct  writ- 
ings of  God.  They  are  themselves  a  crystallization 
of  the  entire  law  given  to  Moses.  They  are  summar- 
ized by  Christ  when  He  said  to  the  Jewish  lawyer: 
"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind. 
This  is  the  first  and  great  commandment.  And  the 
second  is  like  unto  it,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor 
as  thyself.  On  these  two  commandments  hang  all 
the  law  and  the  prophets"  (Mt.  22:36-40).  The 
Apostle  Paul  summarized  the  law  in  two  great  state- 
ments: "Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law";  and, 
"For  all  the  law  is  fulfilled  in  one  word,  even  in 
this;  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself"  (Rom. 
13:10;  Gal.  5:14).  So,  also,  James  has  written: 
"If  ye  fulfil  the  royal  law  according  to  the  scrip- 


IO4  Grace 

ture,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,  ye  do 
well"  (Jas.  2:8).  In  no  sense  is  the  law  applied  to 
the  believer  by  these  Scriptures;  they  merely  imply 
that  the  law  is  fulfilled  by  the  exercise  of  that  love 
which  is  most  vitally  the  duty  of  every  child  of  God. 
That  this  limited  declaration  of  commandments 
from  God  is  termed  "the  law/'  is  proven  beyond 
question  in  Rom.  7 :  7-14.  In  this  passage  the  Apos- 
tle records:  "I  had  not  known  lust,  except  the  law 
had  said,  Thou  shalt  not  covet."  The  same  precept 
is  also  called  a  commandment;  for  he  goes  on  to  say: 
"But  sin,  taking  occasion  by  the  commandment, 
wrought  in  me  all  manner  of  concupiscence."  Fur- 
ther, it  is  evident  that  the  Decalogue  is  the  heart  of 
the  law  as  the  law  is  stated  in  the  Old  Testament. 
Particular  emphasis  is  given  to  the  fact  that  the  Com- 
mandments are  a  part  of  the  law,  because  there  are 
those  who  teach  that  the  whole  law  might  be  set  aside 
without  affecting  the  Ten  Commandments.  They 
claim  that  these  commandments  were  never  any  part 
of  the  law,  and,  though  the  reign  of  the  law  ceased 
with  the  death  of  Christ,  the  binding  authority  of 
the  Ten  Commandments  did  not  cease.  The  Bible 
teaches  that  the  Commandments  are  a  part  of  the 
law,  and  though  their  principles  are  restated  under 
grace,  the  Commandments  ceased  to  be  the  riule  of 
conduct  when  Christ  fulfilled  the  law,  and  it  came 
to  its  end  in  Him. 

Second.    The   Whole  System  of  Government  for 
Israel  in  the  Land. 

The  law  in  this  larger  aspect  was  divided  into 
three  major  parts: 


The  Life  under  Grace  105 

1.  The  Commandments,  which  were  the  revealed 
law  of  God  relative  to  His  righteous  will.    Of  this 
revelation,  the  Decalogue  was  the  center   (Ex.  20: 
1-17). 

2.  The  Judgments,  which  were  the  revealed  law 
of  God  relative  to  the  social  life  of  Israel  (Ex.  21 : 1 
to  24:11). 

3.  The  Ordinances,  which  were  the  revealed  will 
of  God  relative  to  the  religious  life  of  Israel   (Ex. 
24:12  to  31:18). 

This  three-fold  governing  system  of  law  covered  all 
divine  requirements  which  were  imposed  on  an  Israel- 
ite in  the  land.  The  three  divisions  of  the  system 
were  both  interrelated  and  interdependent.  This 
three-fold  system  provided  its  own  instruction  as 
to  what  was  good,  and  its  own  prohibitions  against 
that  which  was  evil.  In  the  prescribed  sacrifices  its 
own  divine  remedy  was  provided  for  the  wrong  com- 
mitted. No  other  provision  for  a  broken  law  has 
ever  been  disclosed  to  man  than  that  of  the  animal 
sacrifices,  and  the  final,  and  fulfilling  sacrifice  of  the 
cross  where  every  demand  of  the  law  was  met  forever. 
The  projection  of  the  Commandments  into  this  dis- 
pensation disassociated  from  the  ritual  and  sacrifices 
to  which  they  are  interrelated,  is  done  with  seem- 
ing plausibility  only  at  the  expense  of  one  of  the 
most  vital  dispensational  distinctions  in  the  "Word  of 
God. 

Third.    The  Kingdom  Ride  of  Messiah. 

The  still  future  dispensation  of  the  reign  of  Mes- 
siah, which  will  be  the  fulfillment  of  all  God's  cov- 
enants with  Israel,  is  to  be  a  reign  of  pure  law. 


106  Grace 

This,  it  will  be  seen  at  a  later  point  of  the  discus- 
sion, is  proven  both  by  the  precise  statements  of 
Scripture,  and  by  a  careful  study  of  the  character 
of  those  injunctions  which  constitute  the  laws  of  the 
kingdom,  and  which  find  their  application  in  the  yet 
future  dispensation  of  the  kingdom. 

Fourth,  The  Whole  Revealed  Will  of  God  for  any 
Individual,  or  Nation,  when  Contemplated  as  a  Cov- 
enant of  Works  which  is  to  be  Wrought  in  the  En- 
ergy of  the  Flesh. 

The  essential  principle  of  the  law  was  embodied  in 
the  covenant  of  works.  The  divine  blessing  was 
conditioned  on  the  performance  of  the  entire  law  of 
God.  Under  the  new  covenant  of  grace,  the  undi- 
vided, undiminished,  divine  blessing  is  first  bestowed 
by  God's  favor,  and  by  this  bestowal,  an  obligation 
is  created  for  a  life  corresponding  to  the  divine  bless- 
ing. When  any  work  is  undertaken  for  God  by  which 
it  is  hoped  thereby  to  gain  divine  favor,  that  work 
is  wrought  of  necessity  on  the  basis  of  pure  law. 
On  the  other  hand,  when  any  work  is  undertaken 
for  God  because  it  is  recognized  that  divine  favor 
and  blessing  already  have  been  received,  it  is  wrought 
in  harmony  with  pure  grace.  Thus  the  highest  ideal 
of  grace  if  prostituted  by  the  motive  of  securing 
divine  favor,  takes  on  the  character  of  law. 

Moreover,  the  will  of  God  for  the  daily  life  of  the 
one  who  is  perfectly  saved  in  grace  has  been  clearly 
revealed  by  extended  and  explicit  injunctions,  or  be- 
seechings.  These  injunctions  and  beseechings,  be- 
ing gracious  and  heavenly  in  character,  anticipate 
the  imparted  and  inwrought  enabling  power  of  the 


The  Life  under  Grace  107 

indwelling  Spirit  for  their  fulfillment.  The  coven- 
ant of  grace  is  a  covenant  of  faith.  Thus  when  the 
injunctions  or  teachings  of  grace  are  attempted  in  the 
strength  of  the  flesh,  the  very  teachings  of  grace 
thereby  become,  in  principle,  a  covenant  of  works. 
Therefore  any  revelation  of  the  righteous  will  of  God 
for  any  individual  or  company  of  individuals  is, 
apart  from  the  one  exception  of  a  personal  reliance 
of  faith  on  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  a  covenant  of 
works,  or  a  law  of  God.  One  illustration  may 
suffice: 

In  Romans  8 : 4  the  statement  is  made  that  the 
"righteousness  of  the  law"  is  to  be  fulfilled  in  us, 
rather  than  ~by  us.  To  this  end  Christ  has  died,  and 
to  this  end  the  energizing  Spirit  has  been  sent  into 
the  world  (8:2,  3).  The  phrase,  "the  righteousness 
of  the  law,"  which  is  here  said  to  be  fulfilled  in  us, 
proposes  more  than  a  fulfillment  of  the  limited  de- 
mands found  in  the  Mosaic  system ;  it  proposes  noth- 
ing less  than  the  divine  energy  of  the  Spirit  realiz- 
ing continuously  every  aspect  of  the  revealed  and 
unrevealed  will  of  God  in  the  believer.  It  is  con- 
ditioned on  one  thing  only:  "Who  walk  not  after 
the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit." 

No  better  example  of  a  man-made,  self-imposed  law 
can  be  found  than  the  experiences  of  every  unsaved 
person  who  is  trying,  even  in  the  slightest  degree,  to 
live  the  Christian  life.  He  is  doing  what  he  does 
with  a  view  to  being  accepted  of  God,  not  because 
he  is  accepted;  and  he  is  doing  what  he  does  in  the 
energy  of  the  flesh,  not  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit. 
To  such  an  one,  the  Christian's  manner  of  life  in 
grace  is  only  a  yoke  of  bondage. 


io8  Grace 

Likewise,  there  is  reference  to  the  whole  will  of 
God  in  the  following  Scriptures  wherein  that  revela- 
tion is  termed  the  law:  "For  I  delight  in  the  law 
of  God  after  the  inward  man"  (Rom.  7:  22).  There 
is  the  possibility  of  a  wide  difference  between  what 
is  indicated  by  the  two  terms,  "The  law  of  Moses," 
and  "The  law  of  God."  The  law  of  Moses  is  the 
law  of  God,  but  the  law  of  God  may  be  much  more 
than  the  law  of  Moses.  "Whosoever  committeth  sin 
transgresseth  also  the  law :  for  sin  is  the  transgression 
of  the  law"  (1  John  3:4).  Since  the  Decalogue 
contained  no  reference  to  the  great  issues  of  Chris- 
tian service  and  prayer,  or  the  details  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  believer's  walk  in  the  world,  no  one, 
upon  serious  thought,  will  be  willing  to  limit  this 
great  definition  of  sin  as  merely  the  transgression 
of  the  law  of  Moses.  ' '  The  sting  of  death  is  sin ;  and 
the  strength  of  sin  is  the  law"  (1  Cor.  15:  56).  Sin, 
again,  is  nothing  less  than  failure  in  any  aspect  of  the 
will  of  God.  When  this  fuller  requirement  of  the 
will  of  God  is  considered  in  its  present  application 
under  grace,  it  is  termed  "the  perfect  law  of  liberty" 
(Jas.  1:25.  Cf  Rom.  8:21;  1  Cor.  8:9;  10:29; 
2  Cor.  3:17;  Gal.  2:4;  5:1-13;  Jas.  2:12). 

Fifth.    Any  Rule  of  Conduct  Prescribed  by  Men. 

Here  the  use  of  the  word  law  is  extended  to  the 
regulations  men  may  make  among  themselves.  We 
read:  "But  we  know  that  the  law  is  good,  if  a  man 
use  it  lawfully;  knowing  this,  that  the  law  is  not 
made  for  a  righteous  man,  but  for  the  lawless  and 
disobedient,  for  the  ungodly  and  for  sinners"  (1  Tim. 
1 :  8,  9) .  "And  if  a  man  also  strive  for  masteries,  yet 


The  Life  under  Grace  109 

is  he  not  crowned,  except  he  strive  lawfully"  (2  Tim. 
2:5.  Cf  Mt.  20:15;  Lk.  20:22). 

Again,  to  this  classification  of  law  as  being  man- 
made,  may  be  added  any  self-imposed  law.  Thus 
the  law  of  Moses  or  the  law  of  the  kingdom  when 
assumed  as  a  rule  of  life  by  Jews,  Gentiles,  or  Chris- 
tians, becomes  a  man-made  and  self-imposed  law. 
It  is  written:  "For  when  the  Gentiles  [the  same 
is  equally  true  now  of  Jews  or  Christians],  which 
have  not  the  law,  do  by  nature  [usage]  the  things 
contained  in  the  law,  these,  having  not  the  law,  are 
a  law  unto  themselves"  (Rom.  2:14).  The  law, 
though  not  addressed  to  them  is  self-imposed  and 
becomes  to  that  extent  a  mere  man-made  obligation. 

Sixth.    Any  Recognized  Principle  in  Operation. 

In  this  aspect  of  the  meaning  of  the  word  law  it 
is  seen  to  be  used  as  the  equivalent  of  power.  In 
common  usage,  reference  is  made  to  the  law  of  gravi- 
tation. "Which  is  likewise  the  power  of  gravitation. 
Thus  it  is  used  in  the  Word  of  God:  "For  the  law 
[power]  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  hath 
made  me  free  from  the  law  [power]  of  sin  and  death" 
(Rom.  8:2). 

Seventh.  The  Necessary  Sequence  Between  a 
Cause  and  its  Effect. 

This  particular  aspect  of  the  use  of  the  word  law 
is  seen  in  Rom.  7 :  21 :  "I  find  then  a  law,  that,  when 
I  would  do  good,  evil  is  present  with  me." 

Discrimination  of  these  widely  different  meanings 
of  the  word  law  is  imperative  for  a  right  understand- 
ing of  this  great  theme  in  the  Scriptures. 


no  Grace 


H.  AS  TO  THE  RELATION  THE  LAW  SUSTAINS  TO  THE 
TIME  OP  ITS  REIGN. 

The  Scriptures  teach  that  the  law  given  by  Moses, 
which  was  a  covenant  of  works,  was  given  from  God 
to  man  at  a  particular  time.  The  human  family  had 
walked  before  God  upon  the  earth  for  upwards  of 
2500  years  prior  to  the  imposition  of  the  law.  Thus 
it  had  been  demonstrated  that  God  is  able  to  deal 
with  men  in  the  earth  without  reference  to  the  law 
of  Moses. 

In  the  "Word  of  God  the  period  between  Adam  and 
Moses  is  particularly  contrasted  with  the  dispensation 
of  the  law.  The  revelation  is  final:  "Wherefore,  as 
by  one  man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by 
sin;  and  so  death  passed  upon  all  men,  for  that  all 
have  sinned:  (For  until  the  law  sin  was  in  the 
world :  but  sin  is  not  imputed  where  there  is  no  law. 
Nevertheless  death  reigned  from  Adam  to  Moses,  even 
over  them  that  had  not  sinned  after  the  similitude 
of  Adam's  transgression)"  (Rom.  5:12-14). 

Physical  death,  the  unavoidable  penalty,  for  sin, 
antedates  the  giving  of  the  law,  and  death  reigned 
from  Adam  to  Moses;  but  sin  was  not  "imputed" 
where  there  was  no  law.  As  it  does  now,  death 
reigned  over  sinless  infants,  good  people,  and  bad, 
people  alike.  Sin,  in  this  connection,  is  evidently 
the  inbred  fallen-nature  which  all  have  received  from 
Adam;  and  not  the  transgressions  personally  com- 
mitted. Thus  the  penalty — death — is  due  to  the 
fallen-nature  which  all  have  received  and  is  not  due 
to  individual  transgressions.  Since  the  sin-nature 


The  Life  under  Grace  in 

from  Adam  is  universal,  its  penalty  is  universal. 
Should  one  member  of  the  human  family  be  de- 
livered from  the  possession  of  the  sin-nature,  the 
fact  would  be  proven  by  a  like  deliverance  from  its 
penalty — death.  None  are  delivered  from  physical 
death  so  long  as  Christ  tarries.  It  is  "by  the  offence 
of  one"  that  "judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  con- 
demnation" (Rom.  5:18). 

The  all  important  distinction  between  the  sin- 
nature  of  man,  which  is  the  universal  possession,  and 
the  personal  wrongdoing  of  the  individual,  is  main- 
tained throughout  the  Scriptures,  including  the 
revelation  of  the  cross.  There  are  two  aspects  of  the 
death  of  Christ  as  that  death  is  related  to  sin:  He 
died  "for  our  sins,"  which  fact  is  the  basis  of  the 
divine  cure  for  personal  sin  by  justification  (Rom. 
3:  21  to  5: 11)  ;  and  He  died  "unto  sin,"  which  fact 
is  the  basis  of  the  divine  cure  for  the  reigning  power 
of  the  sin-nature  (Rom.  6:1  to  8:4). 

Sin  and  death  reigned  from  Adam  to  Moses  be- 
cause sin,  in  its  essence,  is  the  fallen-nature  itself, 
and  death  is  its  penalty ;  but  sin,  which  is  the  personal 
wrongdoing  of  the  individual,  "is  not  imputed  where 
there  is  no  law."  Thus  is  the  relation  of  man  and 
God  described  covering  the  great  period  between 
Adam  and  Moses. 

The  pertinent  question — "Wherefore  then  serveth 
the  law?" — is  both  propounded  and  answered  in  the 
Scriptures  (Gal.  3:19).  Continuing  we  read,  the 
law  "was  added  because  of  transgressions."  That 
is,  it  was  "added"  to  give  to  sin  the  augmented 
character  of  transgression.  Sin  had  always  been  evil 
in  itself  and  in  the  sight  of  God;  but  it  became 


H2  Grace 

disobedience  after  that  the  holy  commandments  were 
disclosed.  The  fact  of  the  sin-nature  is  not  changed 
by  the  introduction  of  the  law;  it  was  the  character 
of  personal  wrongdoing  which  was  changed.  It  was 
changed  from  sin,  which  is  not  imputed  where  there 
is  no  law,  to  sin  which  is  the  rebellion  against  the 
command  of  God,  and  which  must  reap  all  the  punish- 
ment attendant  upon  broken  law.  Israel,  to  whom 
the  commandments  were  given,  being  a  chosen,  ex- 
alted people,  were,  by  the  imposition  of  the  law,  con- 
stituted a  more  responsible  people  before  God;  but 
they  were  wholly  unable  to  keep  the  law.  The  giving 
of  the  law  to  Israel  did  not  result  in  an  obedient 
people ;  it  rather  proved  their  utter  jsinfulness  and 
helplessness.  The  law  became  a  ministry  of  con- 
demnation to  every  one  who  failed  to  keep  it.  Nor 
did  the  giving  of  the  law  really  tend  to  their  better- 
ment at  heart,  or  retard  the  power  of  sin ;  it  provoked 
them  to  sin.  As  the  Apostle  says:  "But  sin,  taking 
occasion  by  the  commandment,  wrought  in  me  all 
manner  of  concupiscence"  (Rom.  7.8). 

There  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  righteous  char- 
acter of  the  law;  for  it  is  written:  "Wherefore  the 
law  is  holy,  and  the  commandment  holy,  and  just, 
and  good.  Was  then  that  which  is  good  made  death 
unto  me?  God  forbid.  But  sin,  that  it  might  ap- 
pear sin,  working  death  in  me  by  that  which  is  good ; 
that  sin  by  the  commandment  might  become  exceed- 
ing sinful"  (Rom.  7:  12-13).  Thus  the  purpose  of 
the  giving  of  the  law  is  stated:  "That  sin  by  the 
commandment  might  become  exceeding  sinful." 

Apart  from  the  Man  Christ  Jesus,  there  was  uni- 
versal failure  in  the  keeping  of  the  law.  This  is  not 


The  Life  under  Grace  113 

to  say  that  the  law  was  imperfect  in  itself.  The 
universal  failure  in  keeping  the  law  is  the  revelation 
of  the  helplessness  of  man  under  the  power  of  "sin 
in  the  flesh."  Two  passages  give  evidence  as  to  the 
failure  of  the  law  through  the  weakness  of  the  flesh 
to  which  it  made  its  appeal :  ' '  For  what  the  law  could 
not  do,  in  that  it  was  weak  through  the  flesh"  (Rom. 
8:3);  and,  "But  now,  after  that  ye  have  known  God, 
or  rather  are  known  of  God,  how  turn  ye  again  to 
the  weak  and  beggarly  [poverty-stricken]  elements, 
whereunto  ye  desire  again  to  be  in  bondage?"  (Gal. 
4:9).  The  appeal  is  strong:  Why,  after  having 
come  to  know  the  power  of  God  through  the  Spirit, 
do  ye  turn  to  a  relationship  to  God  which  as  a  means 
of  victory  and  blessing  has  always  been,  and  must 
always  be,  "weak"  and  "poverty-stricken"? 

The  law  was  never  given  as  a  means  of  salvation 
or  justification:  "Therefore  by  the  deeds  of  the  law 
there  shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight:  for  by 
the  law  is  the  knowledge  of  sin"  (Rom.  3:20.  Cf 
Gal.  3:11,  24).  Though  given  as  a  rule  of  conduct 
for  Israel  in  the  land,  it,  because  of  the  universal 
failure  in  its  observance,  became  a  curse  (Gal. 
3:10),  condemnation  (2  Cor.  3:9),  and  death  (Rom. 
7: 10-11).  The  law  was  effective  only  as  it  drove  the 
transgressor  to  Christ.  It  became  a  means  of  turning 
the  people  to  God  for  His  mercy  as  that  mercy  is 
provided  in  Christ.  The  law  was  a  "schoolmaster," 
or  child  trainer,  to  bring  the  offender  to  Christ. 
This  was  immediately  accomplished  in  his  turning 
to  the  sin-offerings  which  were  provided,  and  which 
were  the  type  of  Christ  in  His  death;  but  more 
fully,  was  this  accomplished  when  the  dispensation 


H4  Grace 

itself  came  to  its  end  in  the  death  of  Christ.  "The 
law  made  nothing  perfect,  .  .  .  but  the  bringing  in 
of  a  better  hope,"  and  the  law  was  a  "shadow  of 
good  things  to  come"  (Heb.  7:19;  10:1). 

The  reign  of  the  law  is  limited  to  a  period  of  about 
1500  years,  or  from  Sinai  to  Calvary — from  Moses  to 
Christ.  These  boundaries  are  fixed  beyond  question 
in  the  Word  of  God. 

First.    The  Law  Began  its  Reign  at  Mount  Sinai. 

The  law  was  never  imposed  upon  any  people  or 
generation  before  it  was  given  to  Israel  at  the  hand 
of  Moses.  "And  Moses  called  all  Israel,  and  said 
unto  them,  Hear,  0  Israel,  the  statutes  and  judg- 
ments which  I  speak  in  your  ears  this  day,  that  ye 
may  learn  them,  and  keep,  and  do  them.  The  LORD 
our  God  made  a  covenant  with  us  in  Horeb.  The 
LORD  made  not  this  covenant  with  our  fathers,  but 
with  us,  even  us,  who  are  all  of  us  here  alive  this 
day"  (Deut.  5:1-3).  When  the  law  was  proposed, 
the  children  of  Israel  deliberately  forsook  their  posi- 
tion under  the  grace  of  God  which  had  been  their 
relationship  to  God  until  that  day,  and  placed  them- 
selves under  the  law.  The  record  is  given  thus: 
"And  Moses  went  up  unto  God,  and  the  LORD  called 
unto  him  out  of  the  mountain,  saying,  Thus  shalt 
thou  say  to  the  house  of  Jacob,  and  tell  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel;  Ye  have  seen  what  I  did  unto  the 
Egyptians,  and  how  I  bare  you  on  eagles'  wings, 
and  brought  you  unto  myself.  Now  therefore,  if  ye 
will  obey  my  voice  indeed,  and  keep  my  covenant, 
then  ye  shall  be  a  peculiar  treasure  unto  me  above 
all  people:  for  all  the  earth  is  mine:  and  ye  shall 


The  Life  under  Grace  115 

be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests,  and  an  holy  nation. 
These  are  the  words  which  thou  shalt  speak  unto  the 
children  of  Israel.  And  Moses  came  and  called  for 
the  elders  of  the  people,  and  laid  before  their  faces 
all  these  words  which  the  LORD  commanded  him. 
And  all  the  people  answered  together,  and  said,  All 
that  the  LORD  hath  spoken  we  will  do.  And  Moses 
returned  the  words  of  the  people  unto  the  LORD" 
(Ex.  19:3-8). 

"While  it  is  certain  that  Jehovah  knew  the  choice 
the  people  would  make,  it  is  equally  certain  that  their 
choice  was  in  no  way  required  by  Him.  His  de- 
scription of  the  relation  they  had  sustained  to  Him 
until  that  moment  is  most  tender  and  pleading:  "Ye 
have  seen  what  I  did  unto  the  Egyptians,  and  how 
I  bare  you  on  eagles'  wings,  and  brought  you  unto 
myself."  Such  is  the  character  of  pure  grace.  By 
it  the  sinner  is  carried  on  eagles'  wings  and  brought 
to  God.  It  is  all  of  God.  Until  that  nour  they  had 
had  been  sustained  in  the  faithfulness  of  Jehovah 
and  without  the  slightest  reference  to  their  wicked- 
ness; but  His  plan  and  purpose  for  them  had  re- 
mained unchanged.  He  had  dealt  with  them  accord- 
ing to  the  unconditional  covenant  of  grace  made  with 
Abraham.  The  marvelous  blessedness  of  that  grace- 
relationship  should  have  appealed  to  them  as  the 
priceless  riches  of  the  unfailing  mercy  of  God,  which 
it  was.  The  surrender  of  the  blessings  of  grace 
should  have  been  allowed  by  these  people  on  no  con- 
dition whatever.  Had  they  said  at  the  hearing  of 
the  impossible  law,  "None  of  these  things  can  we 
do.  We  crave  only  to  remain  in  that  boundless 
mercy  of  God,  who  has  loved  us,  and  sought  us,  and 


n6  Grace 

saved  us  from  all  our  enemies,  and  who  will  bring 
us  to  Himself,"  it  is  evident  that  such  an  appeal 
would  have  reached  the  very  heart  of  God.  And  the 
surpassing  glory  of  His  grace  would  have  been  ex- 
tended to  them  without  bounds;  for  grace  above  all 
else  is  the  delight  of  the  heart  of  God.  In  place  of 
the  eagles'  wings  by  which  they  were  carried  unto 
God,  they  confidently  chose  a  covenant  of  works  when 
they  said:  "All  that  the  LORD  hath  spoken  we  will 
do. ' '  They  were  called  upon  to  face  a  concrete  choice 
between  the  mercy  of  God  which  had  followed  them, 
and  a  new  and!  hopeless  covenant  of  works.  They 
fell  from  grace.  The  experience  of  the  nation  is 


true  of  every  individual  who  falls  from  grace  at  the 
present  time.  Every  blessing  from  God  that  has 
ever  been  experienced  came  only  from  the  loving 
mercy  of  God ;  yet  with  that  same  blasting  self -trust, 
people  are  now  turning  to  a  dependence  upon  their 
works.  It  is  far  more  reasonable  and  honoring  to 
God  to  fall  helpless  into  His  everlasting  arms,  and 
to  acknowledge  that  we  rely  on  His  grace  alone. 

Upon  the  determined  choice  of  the  law,  the  moun- 
tain where  God  was  revealed  became  a  terrible  spec- 

•^ — 

tacle  of  the  unapproachable,  holy  character  of  God. 
"And  mount  Sinai  was  altogether  on  a  smoke, 
because  the  LORD  descended  upon  it  in  fire:  and  the 
smoke  thereof  ascended  as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace, 
and  the  whole  mount  quaked  greatly.  .  .  .  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Go  down,  charge  the  people, 
lest  they  break  through  unto  the  LORD  to  gaze,  and 
many  of  them  perish"  (Ex.  19 : 18-21) .  He  who  had 
brought  them  to  Himself  under  the  unconditional 
blessings  of  His  grace,  must  now  warn  them  lest  they 


The  Life  under  Grace  117 

break  through  .uiita.JJie,JLiQEt)..and-perish.  That  the 
burning  mountain  was  a  sign  of  the  unapproachable- 
ness  of  God  under  the  new  covenant  of  works,  is 
again  declared  in  Heb.  12 : 18-21.  Speaking  there  of 
the  glory  and  liberty  of  grace,  it  is  said:  "For  ye 
are  not  come  unto  the  mount  that  might  be  touched, 
and  that  burnt  with  fire,  nor  unto  blackness,  and 
darkness,  and  tempest,  and  the  sound  of  a  trumpet, 
and  the  voice  of  words;  which  voice  they  that  heard 
intreated  that  the  word  should  not  be  spoken  to  them 
any  more:  (For  they  could  not  endure  that  which 
was  commanded,  And  if  so  much  as  a  beast  touch 
the  mountain,  it  shall  be  stoned,  or  thrust  through 
with  a  dart:  and  so  terrible  was  the  sight,  that 
Moses  said,  I  exceedingly  fear  and  quake:).  But  ye 
are  come  unto  mount  Sion,  and  unto  the  city  of  the 
living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to  an  in- 
numerable company  of  angels,  to  the  general  as- 
sembly and  church  of  the  firstborn,  which  are  written 
in  heaven,  and  to  God  the  Judge  of  all,  and  to  the 
spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,  and  to  Jesus  the 
mediator  of  the  new  covenant,  and  to  the  blood  of 
sprinkling,  that  speaketh  better  things  than  that  of 
Abel."  By  this  passage,  the  great  contrast  between 
the  relationship  to  God  under  the  law  covenant  of 
works,  and  the  relationship  to  God  under  grace,  is 
set  forth  clearly.  Under  their  works,  Israel  could 
not  come  unto  God  lest  they  die;  but  under  grace 
they  were  carried  on  eagles'  wings  unto  God,  and  so, 
under  grace,  all  come  unto  God,  and  to  Jesus,  and  to 
the  blessed  association  and  glory  of  heaven  itself. 
The  children  of  Israel  definitely  chose  the  covenant 
of  works,  which  is  law,  as  their  relationship  to  God. 


1 1 8  Grace 

In  like  manner,  every  individual  who  is  now  under 
the  law,  is  self -placed,  and  that  law  under  which  he 
stands  is  self-imposed.  In  every  case  such  relation- 
ship is  clung  to  in  spite  of  the  appeal  of  pure  grace. 
Had  the  legalists  minds  to  understand  and  hearts  to 
feel,  they  would  realize  that  there  is  no  access  to  God 
by  a  covenant  of  works  and  merit.  To  such  as  seek 
to  come  to  Him  by  the  law,  God  is  as  unapproachable 
as  flaming  Sinai. 

Second.  The  Reign  of  Law  was  Terminated  with 
the  Death  of  Christ. 

The  truthfulness  of  the  statement  that  the  reign  of 
the  law  was  terminated  with  the  death  of  Christ  is 
to  be  determined  by  the  Word  of  God,  rather  than 
by  the  traditions  and  suppositions  of  men.  The  law, 
when  given,  was  only  a  temporary,  or  ad  interim, 
dealing  "until  the  seed  should  come"  (Gal.  3:19), 
and  the  "seed"  is  Christ  (3:16).  This  conclusive 
passage  (vs.  22-25)  continues:  "But  the  Scripture 
hath  concluded  all  under  sin,  that  the  promise  by 
faith  of  Jesus  Christ  might  be  given  to  them  that 
believe."  The  distinction  between  Jew  and  Gentile 
is  broken  down  and  all  are  "under  sin."  There  is 
provided  and  offered  in  Christ  a  new  access  and 
relationship  to  God.  It  is  "through  Christ"  and  "in 
Christ. "  It  is  gained  upon  a  principle  of  faith  alone. 
Christ  is  the  object  of  faith.  It  is  nothing  less  than 
the  "promise  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ,"  and  it  is 
given  to  them  who  "believe."  Thus  the  new  cov- 
enant of  grace  through  faith  in  Christ  is  placed  in 
contrast  to  the  old  covenant  of  works.  The  passage 
goes  on  to  state:  "But  before  faith  [the  new  prin- 


The  Life  under  Grace  119 

ciple  in  grace]  came,  we  [Paul  is  here  speaking  as  a 
Jew  of  his  own  time]  were  kept  under  the  law,  shut 
up  unto  the  faith  which  should  afterwards  be  re- 
vealed. Wherefore  the  law  was  our  schoolmaster 
[child  leader]  to  bring  us  unto  Christ,  that  we  might 
be  justified  by  faith  [the  new  principle  in  grace]. 
But  after  that  faith  [the  new  principle  in  grace]  is 
come,  we  are  no  longer  under  a  schoolmaster"  (the 
law). 

As  a  standard  of  holy  living,  the  law  presented  the 
precise  quality  of  life  which  was  becoming  a  people 
who  were  chosen  of  God  and  redeemed  out  of  the 
bondage  of  Egypt.  At  the  cross,  a  new  and  perfect 
redemption  from  sin  was  accomplished  for  Jew  and 
Gentile  alike.  The  redemption  from  Egypt  was  a 
type  of  the  redemption  from  sin.  As  the  redemp- 
tion from  Egypt  created  a  demand  for  a  correspond- 
ing holy  life,  so  the  redemption  from  sin  creates 
a  demand  for  a  corresponding  heavenly  walk  with 
God.  One  is  adapted  to  the  limitations  of  the  natural 
man;  the  other  is  adapted  to  the  infinite  resources 
of  the  spiritual  man.  One  is  the  teaching  of  the 
law;  the  other  is  the  teaching  of  grace. 

in.      AS  TO   THE  APPLICATION  OF  THE  LAW. 

The  law  was  given  only  to  the  children  of  Israel. 
This  statement  admits  of  no  discussion  when  the 
Scriptures  are  considered.  A  very  few  passages  from 
the  many  are  here  given:  "And  Jesus  answered 
him,  The  first  of  all  the  commandments  is,  Hear, 
O  Israel ;  The  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord :  and  thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart" 


I2O  Grace 

(Mk.  12 :  29-30) ;  "  And  what  nation  is  there  so  great, 
that  hath  statutes  and  judgments  so  righteous  as  all 
this  law,  which  I  have  set  before  you  this  day?" 
(Deut.  4:8);  "And  Moses  called  all  Israel,  and  said 
unto  them,  Hear,  0  Israel,  the  statutes  and  judg- 
ments which  I  speak  in  your  ears  this  day,  that  ye 
may  learn  them,  and  keep,  and  do  them.  The  LORD 
our  God  made  a  covenant  with  us  in  Horeb.  The 
LORD  made  not  this  covenant  with  our  fathers,  but 
with  us,  even  us,  who  are  all  of  us  here  alive  this  day" 
(Deut.  5:1-3).  The  message  given  from  the  mount 
was  that  great  covenant  of  works  of  the  law  con- 
tained in  the  Ten  Commandments,  which  is  here  in- 
cluded in  the  "statutes  and  judgments."  This 
covenant  was  never  made  with  any  other  nation  or 
people ;  for  God  made  no  covenants  with  people  other 
than  Israel.  "The  LORD  gave  me  the  two  tables  of 
stone,  even  the  tables  of  the  covenant"  (Deut.  9: 11). 
Speaking  of  the  covenants  in  relation  to  Israel,  it 
is  said:  "Who  are  Israelites;  to  whom  pertaineth  the 
adoption,  and  the  glory,  and  the  covenants,  and  the 
giving  of  the  law,  and  the  service  of  God,  and  the 
promises;  whose  are  the  fathers,  and  of  whom  as 
concerning  the  flesh  Christ  came,  who  is  over  all, 
God  blessed  forever"  (Bom.  9:4,  5).  Speaking  of 
the  Gentiles  it  is  said:  "Wherefore  remember,  that  ye 
being  in  times  past  Gentiles  in  the  flesh,  .  .  .  that  at 
that  time  ye  were  without  Christ,  being  aliens  from 
the  commonwealth  of  Israel,  and  strangers  from  the 
covenants  of  promise,  having  no  hope,  and  without 
God  in  the  world"  (Eph.  2:11,  12). 

It  is  expressly  declared  that  the  Gentiles  have  not 
the  law:  "For  when  the  Gentiles,  which  have  not  the 


The  Life  under  Grace  121 

law,  do  by  nature  [usage]  the  things  contained  in 
the  law,  these,  having  not  the  law,  are  a  law  unto 
themselves"  (Rom.  2:14).  In  harmony  with  this, 
Pontius  Pilate,  a  Gentile  ruler,  denied  any  respon- 
sibility to  Israel's  law:  "Then  said  Pilate  unto 
them,  Take  ye  him,  and  judge  him  according  to  your 
law"  (John  18:31). 

We  conclude,  therefore,  that  the  law  which  was 

g 

given  by  Moses  was  a  covenant  of  works,  that  it  was 
' '  added ' '  after  centuries  of  human  history,  that  its 
reign  was  terminated  by  the  death  of  Christ,  that  it 
was  given  to  Israel  only,  and  that,  since  it  was  never 
given  to  Gentiles,  the  only  relation  that  Gentiles  can      .  ^ 
sustain  to  it  is,   without  any  divine  authority,   to ' 
impose    it    upon    themselves.    Additional    proof    of 
these  facts  concerning  the  law  are  yet  to  be  presented. 


THE  LIFE  UNDER  GRACE 

(continued) 

SECTION  THREE 
THE  KINGDOM  TEACHINGS 

According  to  the  Scriptures,  all  time  is  divided 
into  seven  periods,  or  dispensations.  The  Bible  is 
occupied,  in  the  main,  with  the  last  three  of  these 
periods.  All  that  lies  between  Exodus,  chapter  19, 
and  Revelation,  chapter  20,  is  the  unfolding  of  the 
exact  scope  and  character  of  these  three  ages.  These 
ages  are:  The  age  of  the  law  of  Moses,  which  is 
measured  by  the  duration  of  the  reign  of  that  law, 
or  from  Sinai  to  Calvary;  The  age  of  the  kingdom, 
which  is  measured  by  the  earth-reign  of  the  King, 
or  from  the  second  coming  of  Christ  when  He  comes 
to  occupy  His  throne  (Mt.  25:  31),  to  the  bringing  in 
of  the  eternal  state  in  the  new  heavens  and  new 
earth  (Rev.  21:1;  1  Cor.  15:24-28) ;  And  lying  be- 
tween the  age  of  the  law  of  Moses,  which  is  wholly 
past,  and  the  age  of  the  kingdom,  which  is  wholly 
future,  there  is  the  present  age  of  grace,  bounded  by 
the  death  of  Christ,  on  the  one  hand,  and  by  His 
second  advent,  on  the  other.  The  revelation  con- 
cerning the  out-standing  ordinance  for  this  age  also 
marks  the  limit  of  duration  of  the  age  itself  with 
a  future  event — dateless,  but  never-the-less  sure: 
"For  as  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this 

cup,  ye  do  shew  the  Lord's  death  till  he  come." 

122 


The  Life  under  Grace  12,3 

Due  recognition  of  the  essential  character  of  each 
of  these  ages  is  the  key  to  the  understanding  of  the 
exact  manner  of  the  divine  rule  in  each  age.  The 
rule  of  God  in  each  case  is  adapted  to  the  conditions 
which  obtain.  Since  the  respective  characteristics 
of  the  ages  are  widely  different,  the  manner  of  the 
divine  rule  is  correspondingly  different.  The  prac- 
tice of  confusing  these  three  ages  in  respect  to  their 
characteristics  and  the  manner  of  the  divine  rule  in 
each  is  common,  and  is,  doubtless,  the  greatest  error 
into  which  many  devout  Bible  interpreters  fall.  It 
is  perhaps  easier  to  confuse  the  present  age  with 
that  which  immediately  precedes  it,  or  with  that 
which  immediately  follows  it,  than  to  confuse  it  with 
conditions  which  are  more  remote;  although  there 
need  be  no  confusion  of  these  immediately  suceeding 
but  sharply  separated  periods  of  time,  for  they  are 
divided  by  age-transforming  events.  The  age  of  the 
law  of  Moses  is  separated  from  the  present  age  of 
grace  by  the  death  of  Christ^  when  He  bore  the 
curse  of  the  law  and  finished  the  work  by  which  man 
may  stand  justified  before  God  forever,  and  justified 
as  he  could  not  have  been  justified  by  the  law  of 
Moses.  The  age  of  grace  is  separated  from  the  age 
of  the  kingdom  by  the  second  coming  of  Christ  to 
the  earth — the  time  when  He  comes  to  reign,  to 
bind  Satan,  to  terminate  human  governments,  and  to 
cause  righteousness  and  peace  to  cover  the  earth  as 
the  waters  cover  the  face  of  the  deep. 

The  divine  government  could  not  remain  the  same 
in  the  earth  after  the  world-transforming,  spiritual 
victories  of  the  cross,  as  it  had  been  under  the  law 
of  Moses.  So,  likewise,  the  divine  government  can- 


124  Grace 


not  remain  the  same  in  the  earth  after  the  world- 
transforming  temporal  victories  of  the  second  coming, 
as  it  has  been  under  the  reign  of  grace.  All  this  is 
reasonable;  but,  what  is  far  more  impelling  and 
compelling,  this  is  what  is  precisely  revealed  by  God 

7  His  Word. 
There  are,  then,  three  separate  and  distinct  sys- 

/  terns  of  divine  government  disclosed  in  the  Scriptures, 
corresponding  to  three   separate   and    distinct   ages 

\    to  be  governed. 

\  In  respect  to  the  character  of  divine  government, 
both  the  age  before  the  cross  and  the  age  following 
the  return  of  Christ  represent  the  exercise  of  pure 
law;  while  the  period  between  these  two  ages  repre- 
sents  the  exercise  of  pure  gragg.  It  is  imperative, 
therefore,  that  there  snail  be  no  careless  co-mingling 
of  these  great  age-characterizing  elements,  else  the 
preservation  of  the  most  important  distinctions  in 
the  various  relationships  between  God  and  man  are 
lost,  and  the  recognition  of  the  true  force  of  the 
death  of  Christ  and  His  coming  again  is  obscured. 
Kingdom  teachings  will  be  found  in  those  Psalms 
and  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  which  antici- 
pate the  reign  of  Messiah  in  the  earth,  and  in  the 
kingdom  portions  of  the  Gospels.  These  teachings 
as  found  in  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New  are 

both  by  their  inherent  char- 


acter, and  by  the  explicit  declaration  of  the  Word  of 
God.  The  legal  requirements  of  the  kingdom  teach- 
ings are  greatly  advanced,  both  m_severity  and  de- 
tail, beyond  the  requirements  of  the  law  of  Moses. 
This  intensification  of  lepal  requirements,  as  it  ap- 
pears in  the  kingdom  teachings,  should  not  be  looked 


The  Life  under  Grace  125 

upon  as  a  mere  continuation  of  the  law  of  Moses. 
The  kingdom  teaching  is  a  system  complete  and 
perfect  in  itself.  Moreover,  this  intensification  of 
U'ir;:l  ivquimuents  in  kingdom  revelations  does  not 
move  the  teachings  of  the  Mosaic  law  nearer  the  heart 
of  the  teachings  of  grace.  On  the  contrary,  it  re- 
moves them  still  farther  in  the  opposite  direction,  ' 
inasmuch  as  the  teachings  of  the  kingdom  increase 
the  burden  of  meritorious  workers  over  that  which 
was  required  by  the  law  of  Moses.  In  the  kingdom 
law,  anger  is  condemned  in  the  same  connection 
where  only  murder  had  been  prohibited  in  the  law 
of  Moses,  and  the  glance  of  the  eye  is  condemned 
where  only  adultery  had  previously  been  forbidden. 
The  kingdom  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament  are 
occupied  largely  with  the  character  and  glory  of 
Messiah's  reign,  the  promises  to  Israel  of  restoration 
and  earthly  glory,  the  universal  blessings  to  Gen- 
tiles, and  the  deliverance  of  creation  itself.  There 
is  little  revealed  in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures 
concerning  the  responsibility  of  the  individual  in 
the  kingdom ;  it  is  rather  a  message  to  the  nation  as 
a  whole.  Evidently  the  details  concerning  individual 
responsibility,  were,  in  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  re- 
served for  the  personal  teaching  of  the  King,  at  the 
time  when  the  kingdom  would  be  "at  hand."  As 
to  the  reign  of  the  King,  two  important  disclosures 
are  made  in  the  kingdom  portions  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment: (1)  His  will  be  a  rigid  reign  of  righteous- 
ness that  shall  go  forth  from  Jerusalem  with  swift 
judgment  upon  the  sinner  (Isa.  2:1-4;  11: 1-5) ;  and 
(2),  according  to  the' new  covenant  which  He  will 
have  made  with  his  people,  He  will  have  put  His  laws 


Grace 


into  their  minds,  and  will  have  written  them  on  their 
hearts  (Jer.  31:31-40;  Heb.  8:7-12).  The  writing 
of  the  law  upon  the  heart  is  a  divine  assistance  to- 
ward the  keeping  of  the  kingdom  law  which  was  in 
no  wise  provided  under  the  reign  of  the  law  of  Moses. 
However,  the  written  law  on  the  heart,  as  it  will  be  in 
the  kingdom,  is  not  to  be  compared  with  the  power  of 
the  indwelling  Spirit  which  is  the  present  divine  en- 
ablement  provided  for  the  believer  under  grace. 

Under  the  new  covenant,  God  will  have  put  away 

the  former  sin  of  the  nation  forever.     This,  it  is 

\  revealed,  He  is  free  to  do  through  the  blood  of  His 

Son  who,  as  God's  Lamb,  took  away  the  sin  of  the 

world  (Mt.  13:44;  Rom.  11:26,  27). 

Tile  great  key  words  under  the  Mosaic  system  were 
"law'Nind  "obedience";  the  great  key  words  in  the 
present  age  are  "believe"  and  "grace";  while  the 
great  key  words  in  the  kingdom  are  "righteousness" 
and  "peace."  The  following  are  brief  excerpts  from 
the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  bearing  on  the  king- 
dom: 

"The  word  that  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz  saw  con- 
cerning Judah  and  Jerusalem.  And  it  shall  come  to 
pass  in  the  last  days,  that  the  mountain  of  the 
LORD'S  house  shall  be  established  in  the  top  of  the 
mountains,  and  shall  be  exalted  above  the  hills;  and 
all  nations  shall  flow  unto  it.  And  many  people  shall 
go  and  say,  Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up  to  the  moun- 
tain of  the  LORD,  to  the  house  of  the  God  of  Jacob; 
and  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways,  and  we  will  walk 
in  his  paths:  for  out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law, 
and  the  word  of  the  LORD  from  Jerusalem.  And  he 
shall  judge  among  the  nations,  and  shall  rebuke 


The  Life  under  Grace  127 

many  people:  and  they  shall  beat  their  swords  into 
plowshares,    and    their    spears    into    pruninghooks : 
nation  shall  not  lift  up  sword  against  nation,  neither       /\ 
shall  they  learn  war  any  more"  (Isa.  2:1-4). 

"And  there  shall  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  stem 
of  Jesse,  and  a  Branch  shall  grow  out  of  his  roots :  and 
the  Spirit  of  the  LORD  shall  rest  upon  him,  the  spirit 
of  wisdom  and  understanding,  the  spirit  of  counsel 
and  might,  the  spirit  of  knowledge  and  of  the  fear  of 
the  LORD  ;  and  shall  make  him  of  quick  understanding 
in  the  fear  of  the  LORD  :  and  he  shall  not  judge  after 
the  sight  of  his  eyes,  neither  reprove  after  the  hearing 
of  his  ears :  but  with  righteousness  shall  he  judge  the 
poor,  and  reprove  with  equity  for  the  meek  of  the 
earth:  and  he  shall  smite  the  earth  with  the  rod  of 
his  mouth,  and  with  the  breath  of  his  lips  shall  he  slay 
the  wicked.  And  righteousness  shall  be  the  girdle  of 
his  loins,  and  faithfulness  the  girdle  of  his  reins" 
(Isa.  11:1-5). 

"And  I  will  gather  the  remnant  of  my  flock  out 
of  all  countries  whither  I  have  driven  them,  and  will 
bring  them  again  to  their  folds;  and  they  shall  be 
fruitful  and  increase.  And  I  will  set  up  shepherds 
over  them  which  shall  feed  them:  and  they  shall 
fear  no  more,  nor  be  dismayed,  neither  shall  they  be 
lacking,  saith  the  LORD.  Behold,  the  days  come, 
saith  the  LORD,  that  I  will  raise  unto  David  a  right- 
eous Branch,  and  a  King  shall  reign  and  prosper,  and 
shall  execute  judgment  and  justice  in  the  earth.  In 
his  days  Judah  shall  be  saved,  and  Israel  shall  dwell 
safely:  and  this  is  his  name  whereby  he  shall  be 
called,  THE  LORD  OUR  RIGHTEOUSNESS.  .  .  .  And 
they  shall  dwell  in  their  own  land"  (Jer.  23:3-8). 


128  Grace 

"For  the  children  of  Israel  shall  abide  many  days 
without  a  king,  and  without  a  .prince,  and  without  a 
sacrifice,  and  without  an  Jmajge^  and  without  an 
ephod,  and  without  tcraphim :  afterward  shall  the 
children  of  Israel  return,  and  seek  the  LORD  their 
God,  and  David  their  King ;  and  shall  fear  the  LORD 
and  his  goodness  in  the  latter  days"  (Hosea  3:  4,5). 1 

Turning  to  the  New  Testament  Scriptures  bearing 
on  the  kingdom,  it  is  important  first  to  consider 
again  the  two-fold  character  of  the  work  and  teach- 
ings of  Christ.  He  was  both  a  minister  to  Israel  to 
confirm  the  promises  made  unto  the  fathers,  and  a 
minister  to  the  Gentijes  that  they  might  glorify  God 
for  His  mercy  (Rom.  15:8,  9).  These  two  widely 
different  revelations  are  not  separated  in  the  Scrip- 
tures by  a  well-defined  boundary  of  chapter  and 
verse;  they  are  intermingled  in  the  text  and  are  to 
be  identified  wherever  found  by  the  character  of  the 
message  and  the  circumstances  under  which  it  is 
given.  This,  it  should  be  remembered,  is  the  usual 
divine  method  of  presenting  truth.  To  illustrate: 
there  is  no  chapter  and  verse  boundary  in  the  pro- 
phetic books  of  the  Old  Testament  between  that  por- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  which  presented  the  immediate 
duty  of  Israel,  and  that  portion  of  the  Scriptures 
which  presented  their  future  obligation  in  Messiah's 
kingdom.  The  prophets,  while  unfolding  both  of 
these  widely  differing  obligations,  co-mingle  these 
messages  in  the  text  and  the  different  messages  are 

dliscerned  only  through  an  observance  of  the  character 
iNote  additional  passages:  Ps.  72:  1-20;  Isa.  4:2-5;  9:  6,  7; 
4:1-8;  35:1-10;  52:1-15;  59:20  to  60:22;  62:1-12; 
6:1-24;  Jer.  31:36,  37;  33:1-26;  Joel  3:17-21;  Amos 
:  11-15;  Zeph.  3:  14-20;  Zech.  14:  16-21. 


The  Life  under  Grace  129 

of  the  truth  revealed.  Likewise,  there  is,  to  some 
extent,  a  co-mingling  in  the  JSfi§j)gls  of  the  message  of 
the  kingdom  and  the  teachings  of jjrace.  Moreover, 
these  teachings  were  given  while  the  law  of  Moses 
was  in  full  authority.  In  harmony  with  the  demands 
of  that  dispensation,  many  recognitions  of  the  Mosaic 
system  are  embedded  in  the  teachings  of  Christ. 
The  Gospels  are  complex  almost  beyond  any  other 
portion  of  Scripture,  since  they  are  a  composite  of 
the  teachings  of  Moses,  of  grace,  and  of  the  king- 
dom. In  attempting  to  discover  and  to  identify  the 
kingdom  teachings  of  Christ  as  they  are  co-mingled 
with  the  teachings  of  grace,  and  of  the  law,  it  is  of 
value  to  note  the  peculiar  feature  of  each  Gospel: 

The  Gospel  by  Matthew  is  a  message  to  Israel  of 
her  King  and  His  kingdom.  In  that  Gospel  He  is 
introducd  first  as  the  ''Son  of  David"  (1:1),  which 
title  immediately  relates  Him  to  the  Davidic  cov- 
enant, and  that  covenant  eternally  secures  for  Israel 
a  throne,  a  King,  and  a  kingdom.  Christ,  being  the 
Son  of  David,  is  the  Messiah-King — the  Hope  and 
Consolation  of  Israel.  While  this  Gospel  is  primarily 
of  the  King  and  His  kingdom,  the  closing  portion  is 
of  Christ  as  the  Son  of  Abraham. 

The  Gospel  by  Mark  presents  Christ  as  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah.     It  records  more  concerning  His  service  '' 
than  of  His  teaching,  and,  like  Matthew's  Gospel,  it 
is  almost  wholly  addressed  to  Israel. 

The  Gospel  by  Luke  presents  Christ  in  His  human- 
ity,  and,  while  written  to  Jews,  the  avowed  purpose  i 
of  the  writer  is  to  "set  in  order"  and  establish  the 
"certainty  of  those  things  which  are  most  surely  be- 
lieved among  us."     This  certainty  of  testimony  is 


130  Grace 

thus  sealed:  "Having  had  perfect  understanding  of 
all  things  from  the  very  first"  ("from  above."  Cf 
John  3:31;  19:11;  Jas.  1:17;  3:15,  17). 

The  Gospel  by  John  was  also  written  for  a  partic- 
ular purpose :  ' '  But  these  are  written,  that  ye  might 
believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God;  and 
that  believing  ye  might  have  life  through  his  name" 
(20:  31).  Thus  the  saving  grace  of  God  in  Christ  is 
declared  to  be  the  theme  of  this  Gospel.  While  the 
ministry  of  Christ  to  Israel  is  acknowledged  by  the 
words,  "He  came  to  his  own,  and  his  own  received 
him  not"  (1:11),  the  Gospel  by  John  is  primarily 
of  the  grace  of  God  in  salvation  through  Christ.  The 
Gospel  by  John  divides  the  teachings  of  Christ  into 
two  parts:  chapters  1  to  12,  the  grace  of  God  that 
saves ;  and  chapters  13  to  16,  and  19  to  21,  the  grace 
of  God  that  teaches.  ^^/^'""Zlt?  -*«  /~&L'f^rif-& 

From  this  brief  consideration  of  the  four  Gospels 
it  may  be  concluded  that  those  teachings  of  Christ 
which  confirm  the  covenants  made  unto  the  fathers, 
or  Israel,  will  be  found  primarily  in  the  Synoptic 
Gospels,  and  that  these  kingdom  teachings  are  crys- 
tallized in  the  first  portion  of  the  first  Gospel.  The 
position  of  this  kingdom  portion  in  the  context  of 
the  Scriptures  is  also  significant — following  immedi- 
ately, as  it  does,  on  the  Old  Testament.  The  Old 
Testament  closed  with  its  great  hopes  unrealized  and 
its  great  prophecies  unfulfilled.  These  hopes  were 
based  on  covenants  from  Jehovah,  to  which  He  had 
sworn  with  an  oath.  These  covenants  guarantee  to 
the  nation  an  earthly  kingdom  in  their  own  land,  un- 
der the  abiding  reign  of  Messiah,  sitting  on  the  throne 
of  His  father  David.  No  such  promise  was  fulfilled 


The  Life  under  Grace  131 

in  the  Old  Testament  period.  The  kingdom  as  pro- 
vided for  in  the  faithfulness  of  Jehovah  was  revealed 
in  the  Old  Testament  only  in  predictive  prophecy. 
No  such  kingdom  situation  existed  when  Christ  was 
born.  It  is  expressly  declared  that  Israel's  great 
hope  and  consolation  was  yet  in  expectation  when 
Christ  came  (Lk.  1:31-33;  2:25).  The  children  of 
Israel  were  then  largely  scattered  among  the  nations 
and  their  land  was  under  the  authority  of  Rome. 

At  this  point  and  under  these  circumstances,  a  new 
message  went  forth:  "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at 
hand."  It  was  proclaimed  by  the  forerunner — John 
the  Baptist  (Mt.  3:1-2),  by  Christ  (Mt.  4:17),  and 
by  His  disciples  (Mt.  10:5-7).  The  strongest  prohi- 
bition was  imposed  against  the  giving  of  this  message 
to  any  Gentile,  or  even  to  a  Samaritan  (Mt.  10:  5,  6. 
Cf  15:24).  The  message,  though  brief,  was  calcu- 
lated to  arouse  all  the  national  longings  of  the  people 
to  whom  it  was  spoken.  The  messengers  needed  no 
analytical  training  to  sense  the  exact  meaning  of  their 
theme.  As  instructed  Israelites,  the  kingdom  hope 
had  been  their  expectation  and  meditation  from  birth. 
Later  on,  and  in  contrast  to  this,  their  utter  slowness 
of  heart  to  understand  the  new  facts  and  teachings  of 
grace  is  most  obvious.  Even  when,  after  His  resur- 
rection, Christ  had  given  forty  days  of  instruction  in 
things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God,  they  said : 
"Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore  again  the  king- 
dom to  Israel?"  (Acts  1:6),  so  little  had  they 
grasped  the  meaning  of  His  death  and  the  immediate 
purpose  of  grace.  On  the  other  hand,  there  is  no 
record  that  the  messengers  needed  or  received  one 
moment  of  exposition  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  mes- 


132  Grace 

sage  relative  to  the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom  before  they 
were  sent  forth  to  deliver  it.  It  was  evidently 
Israel's  hope. 

The  phrase,  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  is  peculiar  to 
the  Gospel  by  Matthew,  and  refers  to  the  rule  of  God 
in  the  earth.  In  that  particular,  it  is  to  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  kingdom  of  God,  which  is  the  rule 
of  God  throughout  the  bounds  of  the  universe.  One, 
in  certain  aspects,  is  included  in  the  other,  and  there 
is,  therefore,  much  that  is  common  to  both.  The 
Messianic  rule  of  God  in  the  earth  was  the  theme  of 
the  prophets;  for  the  prophets  only  enlarged  on  the 
covenants  which  guaranteed  a  throne,  a  King,  and  a 
kingdom,  over  regathered  Israel,  in  that  land  which 
was  sworn  to  Abraham.  The  term,  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  was  used  by  Christ  to  announce  the  fact  that 
the  covenanted  kingdom  blessings  were  "at  hand." 
This  good  news  to  that  nation  was  the  "gospel  of  the 
kingdom,"  and  should  in  no  wise  be  confused  with 
the  Gospel  of  saving  grace. 

The  national  hope  was  centered  in  the  genuineness 
of  the  claims  of  both  the  King  and  His  forerunner. 
The  evidence  was  carefully  weighed,  it  may  be 
believed,  and  it  was  found  unimpeachable;  but  the 
wickedness  of  heart  prevailed.  They  imprisoned  the 
forerunner,  who  was  later  beheaded  by  Herod,  and 
they  crucified  the  King.  Both  the  forerunner  and 
the  King  fulfilled  prophecy  in  respect  to  the  office  of 
each  in  every  detail.  The  forerunner  was  the  voice  of 
one  crying  in  the  wilderness.  The  King  was  of  the 
seed  of  Abraham,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  a  son  of 
David  born  of  a  virgin,  in  Bethlehem  of  Judaea,  He 
.came  out  of  Egypt,  and  was  called  a  Nazarene.  At 


The  Life  under  Grace  133 

His  birth  He  was  proclaimed,  "King  of  the  Jews." 
In  His  public  ministry  He  took  up  the  message  of  a 
King.  At  His  entrance  into  Jerusalem  He  was  hailed 
as  Israel's  King.  At  His  trial  before  Pilate,  He 
claimed  to  be  a  King.  And  He  died  under  the  ac- 
cusation, "This  is  Jesus,  the  King  of  the  Jews." 
The  crown  of  thorns  had  no  significance  in  relation 
to  His  sacrificial  death  for  sin:  it  was  the  emblem  of 
the  nation's  derision  for  His  kingship  claim.  They 
thus  fulfilled  by  act  the  very  prophecy  the  King 
had  made :  ' '  We  will  not  have  this  man  to  rule  over 
us."  There  should  be  no  confusion  at  this  point. 
The  rulers  of  the  nation  who  demanded  His  death 
were  not  personally  rejecting  a  Saviour,  as  sinners 
are  rejecting  Him  now;  they  were  rejecting  their 
King.  They  did  not  say,  "We  will  not  believe  on  the 
Saviour  to  the  salvation  of  our  souls";  they  said,  "We 
have  no  kiiiLr  but  Civsar." 

The  rejection  of  the  King  was  according  to  "the 
determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge  of  God" 
(Acts  2:  23)  ;  for  His  rejection  and  humiliation  were 
foreshadowed  in  the  types,  and  foreseen  in  the  pro- 
phecies of  the  Old  Testament;  He  was  the  "Lamb 
slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world."  At  every 
step  in  the  record  His  rejection  and  death  are  said  to 
be  the  fulfilling  of  the  Scriptures.  It  is  recorded  of 
Him  in  sixteen  passages  that  He,  by  His  rejection  and 
death,  fulfilled  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures.  It  is 
also  recorded  of  Him  in  nine  passages  that  He  was  the 
fulfillment  of  Old  Testament  prophecies  concerning 
the  King. 

The  first  ministry  of  Christ  was,  then,  to  Israel  as 
her  J£jng.  In  this  He  appeared;  not  as  a  personal 


134  Grace 

Saviour,  but  as  her  long  expected  Messiah;  not  as  a 
Lamb,  but  as  a  Lion;  not  as  a  sacrifice  by  which  a 
Church — the  spotless  Bride — might  be  purchased  to 
Himself  from  among  all  nations,  but  as  the  Son  of 
David,  with  every  right  to  David's  throne,  over  Israel, 
at  Jerusalem,  in  the  land  of  promise.  In  the  Synoptic 
Gospels,  there  is,  therefore,  no  record  of  any  step  to- 
ward the  formation  of  the  Church,  or  any  reference  to 
that  great  purpose,  until,  from  His  own  nation,  His 
rejection  as  King  is  evident.  According  to  the  Syn- 
optic Gospels,  the  early  teachings  of  the  King  were  of 
that  nation,  and  were  in  no  wise  related  to  the  great 
results  which  would  afterwards  be  accomplished 
through  His  death  and  resurrection  in  the  calling  out 
of  His  Church  from  all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 
Upon  His  rejection,  He  began  to  speak,  in  antici- 
pation of  His  death,  of  the^&r^atkra  of  His^Church, 
and  of  His  coming  back  again  to  tEe'earth.  He 
likewise  related  the  sure  fulfillment  of  every  covenant 
with  Israel  to  the  time  of  His  return. 

Was,  then,  the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom,  as  announced 
by  John,  by  Christ,  and  by  His  disciples,  a  bonafide 
message?  Did  it  really  mean  what  it  announced? 
Was  Israel 's  long  predicted  kingdom  at  hand  ?  If  so, 
and  had  they  received  their  King,  what  would  have 
become  of  the  divine  purposes  of  redemption  as  they 
were  to  be  accomplished  through  His  death?  These 
questions  are  insistently  asked  to-day ;  but  the  answers 
are  not  difficult. 

The  Gospel  of  the  kingdom  was  a  bonafide  message 
to  Israel.  To  treat  it  otherwise,  is  to  accuse  God  of 
jtriekery  and  deception.  It  is  likewise  a  serious  mis- 
representation of  all  the  related  Scriptures  to  apply 


The  Life  under  Grace  135 

the  message  and  teaching  of  the  King  to  the  present 
purposes  of  God  in  this  age  of  grace.  All  confusion 
which  arises  concerning  the  kingdom  message  in  its 
relation  to  the  cross  arises  from  the  failure  to  recog- 
nize the  important  distinction  between  the  divine 
viewpoint  and  the  human  viewpoint^  It  is  only 
another  application  of  the  rationalistic  trickjrf  play- 
ing the  free  will  of  man  against  the  sovereignty  of 
God.  On  the  human  side,  there  was  a  clear-cut  issue 
with  unrestrained  power  to  choose,  or  reject,  the  King. 
On  the  divine  side,  there  was  a  genuine  offer  of  the 
kingdom  in  the  Person,  presence  and  ministry  of  the 
King ;  but  back  of  this  was  the  foreknowledge  of  God 
which  was  absolute  as  to  the  choice  they  would  make. 
Their  choice  would  be  but  the  outworking  of  the  eter- 
nal purpose  of  God  in  Christ,  and  for  that  choice  they 
would  be  held  guilty.  On  the  divine  side,  it  is  said : 
"Therefore  they  could  not  believe"  (John  12:39), 
and  on  the  human  side,  it  is  said:  "They  hated  me 
without  a  cause"  (John  15:25).  Is  this  the  only 
example  of  such  a  problem  in  the  Scriptures  ?  By  no 
means. 

Every  dispensation  represents  a  new  divine  pur- 
pose in  the  testing  of  man.  In  every  case  man  is  seen 
to  fail,  and  to  be  guilty  before  God;  yet  we  behold 
God  patiently  and  faithfully  bringing  man  face  to 
face  with  the  issues  involved.  After  a  brief  experi- 
ence in  the  wilderness,  He  took  Israel  to  Kadesh 
Barnea  where  He  provided  and  offered  an  immediate 
entrance  into  their  own  land.  The  choice  was  theirs ; 
they  refused  to  enter.  They  were  guilty.  God  knew 
they  would  refuse  to  enter  the  land ;  yet  His  offer  was 
genuine,  and  His  purposes  were  realized.  In  chas- 


136  Grace 

tisement,  God  sent  them  back  into  the  wilderness  for 
forty  years  of  added  discomfort.  In  His  own  time, 
and  by  His  own  power,  they  finally  entered  the  land. 
This  portion  of  Israel's  history  may  be  taken  to  be 
typical.  When  Christ  came,  the  nation  had  then 
experienced  over  five  hundred  years  of  trial  in  dis- 
possession of  their  land  and  the  vacancy  of  David's 
throne.  When  their  Messiah  came,  they  refused  the 
divine  provisions  centered  in  the  King,  and,  as  typi- 
fied at  Kadesh,  they  returned  to  what  has  now  proven 
to  be  two  thousand  years  of  added  affliction.  The 
day  is  coming,  however,  when,  according  to  the  faith- 
fulness of  God,  they  will  receive  their  King  and  abide 
under  His  undimmed  glory. 

Turning  to  the  Old  Testament,  the  student  is  con- 
fronted with  the  problem  of  the  right  adjustment  as 
to  the  time  of  fulfillment  of  two  great  lines  of  proph- 
ecy concerning  Christ.  On  the  one  hand,  He  was  pro- 
phesied to  come  as  a  Monarch  whose  reign  and 
kingdom  would  be  everlasting  (Cf  2  Sam.  7 : 16 ;  Ps. 
72 : 1-20 ;  89 :  35-37 ;  Isa.  9 :  6,  7) .  The  thought  of  His 
death  is  foreign  to  this  body  of  prophecy.  It  is  no 
function  of  a  king  to  die, — "Long  live  the  king!" 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  prophecy  equally  as 
explicit  regarding  the  sacrificial,  substitutionary  death 
of  Christ  (Ps.  22:1-21;  Isa.  53:1-12).  Manifestly, 
these  two  lines  of  undertaking  could  not  be  accom- 
plished simultaneously.  Christ  could  not  be  the 
resistless,  undying  King,  and  be  an  unresisting  sacri- 
fice, at  one  and  the  same  time.  It  was  this  very  time- 
element  in  the  problem  which  Peter  declared  was  not 
disclosed  to  the  prophets.  He  writes:  "Of  which 
salvation  the  prophets  have  inquired  and  searched 


The  Life  under  Grace  137 

diligently,  who  prophesied  of  the  grace  that  should 
come  unto  you:  searching  what,  or  what  manner  of 
time  the  Spirit  of  Christ  which  was  in  them  did  sig- 
nify, when  it  testified  beforehand  the  sufferings  of 
Christ,  and  the  glory  that  should  follow"  (1  Pet. 
1:10,  11).  Since  the  present  age  of  grace  and  its 
purpose  was  not  revealed  to  the  writers  of  the  Old 
Testament,  the  time-element  relating  these  two  lines 
of  prophecy  could  not  be  disclosed.  When  the  full- 
ness of  time  came,  it  pleased  God  to  present  His  King 
in  fulfillment  of  prophecy  and  according  to  all  His 
covenants  to  Israel.  Both  by  the  "determinate  coun- 
sel and  foreknowledge  of  God"  and  by  the  free  choice 
of  the  nation,  the  King  was  rejected  and  crucified.  It 
is  evident,  therefore,  that  the  prophecies  concerning 
the  King  and  His  earthly  kingdom  remain  unfulfilled 
to  this  hour.  They  are  not  forgotten  or  abandoned. 
Neither  are  they  receiving  a  spiritual  fulfillment. 
They  are  yet  to  be  fulfilled  when  the  King  returns  to 
the  earth. 

In  like  manner,  the  same  clear  light  as  to  the  divine 
purpose  is  revealed  through  Daniel  when  he  predicts 
the  order  of  events  to  be  fulfilled  in  the  period  be- 
tween his  own  time  and  that  of  the  reign  of  Messiah. 
In  this  prophecy  the  "cutting  off  of  Messiah"  pre- 
cedes the  reign  of  the  King.  Thus  did  God  anticipate 
what  would  take  place;  but  this  in  no  wise  lessens 
the  exercise  of  free  choice  on  the  part  of  the  nation 
Israel  in  rejecting  the  King. 

It  is  puerile  to  assert  that  the  cross  of  Christ  was 
held  in  jeopardy  until  Israel's  choice  concerning  the 
King  had  been  consummated.  Let  those  who  traffic 
in  such  tricks  of  argument  be  consistent  to  the  point 


138 


Grace 


of  applying  their  rationalism  to  all  the  great  issues 
wherein  the  sovereignty  of  God  and  the  free  will  of 
man  are  found  to  meet.  The  ministry  of  Christ  was 
genuine.  He  was  a  minister  to  the  circumcision  to 
confirm  the  promises  made  unto  the  fathers.  He  was 
likewise  the  open  door  into  the  grace  of  God  that  Gen- 
tiles might  glorify  God  for  His  mercy.  Though  real, 
His  rejection  as  King  was  the  necessary  step  in  all 
redemption,  and  God  in  faithfulness  will  yet  fulfill 
every  covenant  related  to  the  throne,  the  King,  the 
nation,  and  the  land.  This  He  will  do  when  the  King 
comes  back  to  the  earth  again. 

It  has  been  necessary  to  outline  the  relation  of  the 

,     covenanted,  earthly  kingdom  to  the  first  advent  of 
Christ,  in  order  that  the  kingdom  teachings  of  Christ 

V  may  be  seen  in  their  true  setting. 

Referring  to  the  first  section  of  the  Gospel  by 
Matthew  (chapters  1  to  12),  wherein  the  Gospel  of 
the  kingdom  is  preached  to  Israel,  it  will  be  found 
that  this  precise  message  of  the  kingdom  Gospel  was 
first  announced  by  John  the  Baptist,  of  whom  it  is 
said:  "For  this  is  he  that  was  spoken  of  by  the 
prophet  Esaias,  saying,  The  voice  of  one  crying  in 
the  wilderness,  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
make  his  paths  straight"  (Mt.  3:1-3);  it  was  an- 
nounced by  the  King  Himself  (Mt.  4: 17) ;  and  by  the 
disciples  (Mt.  10:5-7).  Embedded  in  this  context 
wherein  only  the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom  is  in  view, 
and  completely  bounded  by  the  records  of  these  proc- 
lamations, is  the  "Sermon  on  the  Mount,"  which  is 
evidently,  the  Manifesto  of  the  King  (Mt.  5:1  to 
7:29).  In  this  Manifesto  the  King  declares  the 
essential  character  of  the  kingdom,  the  conduct  which 


The  Life  under  Grace  139 

will  be  required  in  the  kingdom,  and  the  conditions 
of  entrance  into  the  kingdom.  This  kingdom  rule  of 
life  is  purely  legal,  both  in  its  inherent  qualities  and 
by  its  own  claim  (Mt.  7:12).  It  is,  however,  very 
different  from  the  law  as  given  by  MOSCSL,  In  the 
kingdom  teachings,"  as  has  been  stated,  the  commands 
of  Moses  are  advanced  into  requirements  vastly  more 
impossible  as  to  detail^  and  this  does  not  relieve,  but 
rather  intensifies,  its  character  as,  strictly  legal. 
Christ  does  not  disown  the  principles  of  the  law  in  the 
unfoldings  of  kingdom  requirements  any  more  than 
He  does  in  all  His  dealings  with  Israel  before  His 
death.  He  is  rather  presenting  a  new  degree  and 
standard  of  law  which  is  adapted  to  the  conditions 
which  shall  obtain  in  the  kingdom,  and  which  He  con- 
trasts with  the  law  of  Moses.  The  great  kingdom 
words —  righteousness  and  peace — are  dominant,  and 
there  is  never  a  reference  either  to  salvation,  or  grace. 
Nor  is  there  the  slightest  reference  to  those  great 
realities  of  relationship  which  belong  to  the  new  crea- 
tion wrought  by  Christ  through  His  death  and  resur- 
rection. Such  a  complete  omission  of  any  reference 
to  any  feature  of  the  present  age  of  grace,  is  a  fact 
which  should  be  carefully  weighed. 

The  minute  accuracy  of  the  Scripture  is  seen  in 
Christ's  use  of  the  phrase  my  commandments.  Dur- 
ing the  days  of  His  ministry  to  the  nation  Israel,  He 
enforced  the  commandments  of  Moses,  and  spoke  of 
the  new  principles  which  were  to  be  applied  in  the 
kingdom  as  "these  sayings  of  mine."  and  "I  say  unto 
you";  but  at  no  time  did  He  use  the  term  my  com- 
mandments until  He  used  it  with  His  disciples  in  the 
upper  room,  and  at  the  time  when  He  was  unfolding 


140  Grace 

the  new  principles  which  were  to  condition  the  daily 
living  of  those  who  should  stand  on  resurrection 
ground,  in  the  new  creation,  and  under  grace.  It  is 
also  significant  that  the  first  use  of  the  term  com- 
mandment in  this  grace  message  is  when  He  said,  "A 
new  commandment  I  give  unto  you"  (John  13:34). 
There  is,  therefore,  a  possible  limitation  to  be  placed 
on  the  extent  of  the  responsibility  imposed  by  Christ 
in  His  great  commission  wherein  He  said :  ' '  teaching 
them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  com- 
manded you"  (Mt.  28:20).  It  is  hardly  probable 
that  He  intends  all  the  Mosaic  law,  the  governing 
principles  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  teachings  of  jrrace, 
to  be  combined  and  applied  to  those  who  receive  the 
message  of  the  great  commission. 

In  the  teachings  of  the  tmgdom,  the  characterizing 
phrase  is,  ''hear  and  do"  (Mt.  7:  24),  while  the  char- 
acterizing phrase  under  grace  is  "jiear  and  believe" 
(John  5:24).  The  essential  character  of  the  teach- 
ings of  the  kingdom  as  they  are  contrasted  with  the 
teachings  of  Moses,  and  as  they  are  contrasted  with 
the  teachings  of  grace,  will,  at  another  point  of  the 
discussion,  be  considered  at  length. 

There  is  a  sense  in  which  the  kingdom  of  God,  as 
the  rule  of  God  in  the  hearts  of  individuals,  is  present 
in  the  world  to-day.  This  should  not  be  confused 
with  the  Messianic  kingdom  which  is  to  be  set  up  over 
a  nation,  and  extended  through  them  to  all  nations, 
with  the  King  ruling,  not  in  the  individual  heart,  but 
on  the  throne  of  David,  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  As 
the  King  came  nearer  to  His  death,  and  the  rejection 
became  more  evident,  He  made  mention  of  that  aspect 
of  the  rule  of  God  in  the  individual  heart  which  was 


The  Life  under  Grace  141 

— • » 

to  characterize  the  hitherto  unannounced  age  of  grace. 
The  following  passage  (like  Mt.  13: 1-52),  taken  from 
the  later  teachings  of  Christ  as  recorded  by  Luke,  is 
an  example:  "And  when  he  was  demanded  of  the 
Pharisees,  when  the  kingdom  of  God  should  come,  he 
answered  them  and  said,  The  kingdom  of  God 
cometh  not  with  observation  [outward  show]  :  neither 
shall  they  say,  Lo  here !  or,  lo  there !  for,  behold,  the 
kingdom  of  God  is  within  you"  (  in  your  midst.  Lk» 
17:20,21). 

f  In  no  sense  could  it  be  truthfully  said  that  the  king- 
dom of  God  was  in  the  hearts  of  those  Christ-rejecting 

^Pharisees.  There  was,  however,  a  real  sense  in  which 
the  kingdom  of  God  was  to  be,  as  it  is  now,  in  the 
hearts  of  individual  believers;  but  the  direct  state- 
ment of  Christ  is  to  the  effect  that  the  kingdom  was 
then,  in  the  Person  of  the  King,  in  their  midst.  So, 
also,  the  phrase,  the  kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with 
outward  show,  anticipates  the  present  aspect  of  the 
rule  of  God  in  the  individual  heart;  but  after  this, 
and  according  to  all  prophecy,  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
will  come  with  outward  show.  There  is  much  promise 
of  a  transformed  earth,  which  condition  will  be 
ushered  in,  not  by  unseen  forces  and  processes;  but 
through  the  resistless  power  and  presence  of  the  re- 
turning King. 

So,  also,  He  could  say  to  Israel :  ' '  The  kingdom  of 
God  is  come  nigh  unto  you"  (Lk.  10:9).  As  cer- 
tainly as  the  King  was  before  the  nation,  so  certainly 
their  kingdom  was  before  them,  and  this  was  the 
appeal  of  the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom  which  was  given 
to  "the  children  of  the  kingdom"  only.  "When  the 
King  was  rejected,  His  kingdom  was  rejected.  When 


142  Grace 

His  kingdom  was  rejected  and  its  realization  delayed 
until  the  return  of  the  King,  the  application  of  all 
Scripture  which  conditions  life  in  the  kingdom  was 
delayed,  as  well,  and  will  be  delayed  as  long  as  the 
King  tarries.  This  necessary  delay  is  easily  accepted 
with  reference  to  the  earthly,  national  glory,  which  is 
the  theme  of  the  kingdom  teachings  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment ;  but  it  is  equally  true  that  there  is  a  necessary 
delay  in  application  of  the  last  detail  of  human  obli- 
gation related  to  the  earthly  kingdom  as  set  forth  in 
the  New  Testament. 

The  kingdom  teachings  are  a  sufficient  and  complete 
statement  of  all  that  it  will  be  necessary  for  one  to 
know  concerning  the  terms  of  entrance  into,  and  con- 
duct in  the  Messianic  kingdom  on  the  earth.  Much 
in  these  kingdom  teachings  is  similar  to  that  which  is 
found  in  the  teachings  of  Moses.  Much  is  similar, 
also,  to  the  teachings  of  grace ;  but  these  facts  do  not 
constitute  these  teachings  an  indivisible  whole,  nor  do 
they  justify  a  careless  co-mingling  of  these  great 
systems  of  rule  in  the  earth.  The  characterizing 
elements  in  each  will  be  found  to  be  those  principles 
which  are  peculiarly  applicable  to  the  dispensation  to 
which  they  belong,  rather  than  in  the  principles 
wherein  they  are  similar. 


THE  LIFE  UNDER  GRACE 

(continued) 

SECTION  FOUR 
CONTRASTS   BETWEEN   LAW   AND   GRACE   TEACHINGS 

Having  considered  the  fact  that  God  provides 
different  rules  of  life,  as  recorded  in  the  Scriptures, 
to  fit  His  succeeding  dispensational  dealings  with 
man,  it  is  important  to  consider  the  wide  difference 
which  exists  between  the  principle  of  law,  and  the 
principle  of  grace,  as  applied  to  the  divine  govern- 
ment of  man. 

While  the  purpose  of  this  section  is  to  emphasize 
the  fact  that  the  three  systems  of  divine  government 
are  essentially  separate, 'each  one  from  the  others,  and 
each  one,  being  wholly  complete  and  sufficient  in  it- 
self, is  in  no  wise  exchangeable  for  either  of  the 
others,  and  cannot  be  co-mingled;  it  should  be  ob- 
served that  there  are  important  fields  of  Bible  inter- 
pretation and  instruction  besides  the  limited  aspect 
of  truth  which  is  suggested  by  the  various  rules  of 
conduct.  The  Scriptures  unfold  many  highways  of 
truth  with  unbroken  development  from  "the_  blade,, 
then  the  oar,  after  that  the  full  corn  in  the  ear." 
The  important  features  of  this  unity  in  the  Scriptures 
are: 

1.  The  revelation  concerning  God.  He  is  first 
revealed  in  the  Old  Testament  by  His  najn.es  and 

143 


144  Grace 

works,  and  to  this  the  New  Testament  adds  the 
Puller  emphasis  upon  the  Trinity,  the  relation  of 
the  Persons  of  the  Godhead  to  mankind,  and  the 
various  aspects  of  saving  grace.  The  continuity  of 
the  Old  Testament  testimony  concerning  Christ  was 
proven  by  Himself  on  the  Emmaus  road,  as  it  is  re- 
corded :  ' '  Beginning  at  Moses  and  all  the  prophets,  he 
expounded  unto  them  in  all  the  scriptures  the  things 
concerning  himself"  (Lk.  24:27). 

2.  Prophecy  and  its  fulfillment.    Every  recorded 
instance  of  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy  shows  that 
every  detail  of  the  prediction  was  fulfilled  to  the  let- 
ter. 

3.  The  union  between  type   and  antitype.    Al- 
most every  important  truth  of  the  New  Testament 
was  typified  and  foreshadowed  in  the  Old  Testament. 
This  fact  proves  the  symmetry  of  all  Scripture  (See 
1  Cor.  10:1-11). 

4.  The  revelation  concerning  Satan  and  evil.    In 
this  body  of  revelation,  likewise,  the  Bible  story  is 
uninterrupted,  save  for  the  new  material  added  in 
the  development  of  the  divine  message. 

5.  The  doctrine  of  man  and  his  sin.    The  exact 
manner  of  the  application  of  the  divine  remedy  for 
sin  varies   from   dispensation  to   dispensation;   but 
there  is  no  variation  in  all  the  record  concerning  the 
essential  facts  of  human  failure,  and  the  gracious, 
divine  remedy  through  blood  alone. 

6.  The  requirement  of  holiness  in  the  conduct  of 
saints.    While  there  is  wide  difference  between  the 
rules  of  conduct  which  are  imposed  in  the  various 
ages,  there  is  unity  in  the  revelation  that  a  holy  man- 
ner of  life  is  the  divine  requirement  in  every  age. 


The  Life  under  Grace  145 

7.  The  continuity  of  purpose  in  the  program  of 
the  ages.  In  this  aspect  of  the  truth  it  should  be  ob- 
served that,  while  each  age  possesses  a  character  ex- 
clusively its  own,  the  divine  purpose  throughout  all 
the  ages  is  one,  ending  in  the  ultimate  consummation 
which  God  has  decreed.  This  fact  is  stated  in  Heb. 
1 : 2.  Speaking  of  God  as  revealed  in,  and  related 
to,  the  Son,  it  is  written:  "By  whom  he  program- 
med the  ages"  (literal). 

Such  is  the  wonderful  unity  of  the  Scriptures 
throughout;  but  in  no  sense  are  the  various  systems 
regulating  human  conduct  the  same,  and  the  exact 
application  of  these  systems  must  be  guarded  at 
every  point.  If  truth  for  the  children  of  God  under 
grace  is  to  be  drawn  from  the  teachings  of  the  law  of 
Moses,  or  the  kingdom,  it  should  be  acknowledged 
that  it  is  taken  from  a  system  foreign  to  grace,  and 
that  it  is  applicable  only  by  way  of  illustration. 

These  governing  principles  differ  in  three  partic- 
ulars: (1)  They  present  independent,  sufficient, 
and  complete  systems  of  divine  rule  in  the  earth. 
(2)  In  these  systems  the  order  varies  as  to  the  se- 
quence of  the  divine  blessing  and  the  human  obliga- 
tion. (3)  These  systems  differ  according  to  the 
degree  in  which  the  divine  enablement  has  been  pro- 
vided. 


I.  THEY  PRESENT  INDEPENDENT,  SUFFICIENT,  AND 
COMPLETE  SYSTEMS  OF  DIVINE  RULE  IN  THE  EARTH. 

As  has  been  stated,  there  are  three  of  these  sys- 
tems of  divine  government.  (1)  The  teachings  of 
the  law  of  Moses;  (2)  The  teachings  of  grace; 


146  Grace 

and  (3)  The  teachings  of  the  kingdom.  Naturally 
there  is  field  here  for  wide  expansion,  since  these 
three  systems  of  authority  occupy  the  major  portion 
of  the  Bible.  A  brief  review  only  of  the  essential 
character  of  these  systems  is  here  given : 

(1)     The  Teachings  of  the  Law  of  Moses. 

This  rule  of  life  was  revealed  from  God  and  ac- 
cepted by  Israel  at  Sinai,  and  was  at  no  time  ad- 
dressed to  the  nations  of  the  world.  It  was  a  pecul- 
iar form  of  government  for  a  peculiar  people,  and 
accomplished  a  peculiar  purpose  in  condemning  the 
failure  of  man  and  in  leading  him  to  Christ.  Its 
full  detail  is  revealed  in  the  writings  of  Moses ;  but 
the  history  of  Israel  under  the  law  occupies  the  rest 
of  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  major  part  of  the 
Gospels  up  to  the  record  of  the  death  of  Christ.  In 
the  doctrinal  teachings  of  the  New  Testament,  very 
much  additional  light  is  given  to  the  character  and 
purpose  of  the  law  of  Moses.  There  the  law  is  held 
in  contrast  with  the  teachings  of  grace.  There,  also, 
as  will  be  seen  more  fully  in  the  later  discussion, 
the  law  is  represented  as  having  passed  out  of  force 
through  the  death  of  Christ ;  and,  it  may  be  observed, 
that,  after  the  death  of  Christ,  the  law  is  in  no  in- 
stance treated  as  being  directly  in  force. 

The  law  of  Moses  was  complete  within  itself.  It 
was  sufficient  to  regulate  the  conduct  of  an  Israelite 
under  every  circumstance  that  might  arise.  No 
other  rule  of  life  had  been  revealed  during  the  days 
in  which  the  law  of  Moses  was  in  effect,  hence  there 
was  no  temptation  for  Israel  to  complicate  her  gov- 


The  Life  under  Grace  147 

erning  principle  with  any  other.  In  her  relation 
to  God,  that  nation  remained  for  fifteen  hundred 
years  under  pure  law.  "The  law  was  given  by 
Moses,  but  grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ." 

(2)     The  Teachings  of  Grace. 

Like  the  teachings  of  the  law  of  Moses,  the  teach- 
ings of  grace  have  not  applied  to  men  in  all  ages. 
These  teachings  were  revealed  from  God  through 
Christ  and  His  apostles.  Moreover,  they  are  never 
addressed  to  the  world  as  applicable  to  it  in  the  pres- 
ent age;  but  are  addressed  to  a  peculiar  people  who 
are  in  the  world,  but  are  not  of  the  world.  These 
teachings  constitute  the  divine  instruction  to  the 
heavenly  citizen  and  unfold  the  exact  manner  of  life 
that  such  a  citizen  is  expected  to  manifest  even  here 
in  the  earth.  The  full  detail  of  this  rule  of  life  is 
found  in  portions  of  the  Gospels,  portions  of  the 
Book  of  Acts,  and  the  Epistles  of  the  New  Testament. 
As  light  is  given  in  these  particular  Scriptures  of  the 
New  Testament  by  way  of  contrast,  concerning  the 
character  and  purpose  of  the  law  of  Moses,  so,  in  like 
manner,  the  very  foundations  of  grace  and  its  re- 
lationships are  laid  in  the  types  and  prophecies  of 
the  Old  Testament.  It  is  revealed  that  God  dealt 
graciously  with  the  human  family  from  Adam  to 
Moses;  but  it  is  also  revealed  that  the  precise  form 
of  divine  government  which  is  the  present  teaching 
of  grace  was  not  then  disclosed,  nor  was  it  applied 
to  men  until  the  reign  of  the  law  had  been  termin- 
ated in  the  death  of  Christ.  It  is  likewise  revealed 
that  the  death  of  Christ  was  the  necessary  founda- 


148  Grace 

tion  for  the  present,  full  manifestation  of  super- 
abounding  grace.  It  is  equally  as  certain  from  rev- 
elation that  the  teachings  of  grace  will  apply  to  the 
children  of  God  under  grace  as  long  as  they  are  in 
the  world,  and  these  principles  will  cease  to  rule,  of 
necessity,  when  the  people  to  whom  they  alone  apply 
are  gathered  out  and  taken  from  the  earth  at  the 
coming  of  Christ.  This  period  between  the  death  of 
Christ  and  His  coming  again  is  not  characterized  in 
the  Scriptures  as  a  time  when  the  supreme  purpose 
of  God  is  the  governing  of  the  nations  of  the  earth; 
this  age  is  rather  spoken  of  as  "the  times  of  the 
Gentiles"  in  all  matters  of  human  government  in  the 
earth.  Nor  is  this  age  the  period  in  which  God  is 
realizing  the  fulfillment  of  His  unchanging  coven- 
ants with  the  nation  Israel;  that  nation  is  now  said 
to  be  scattered,  peeled,  blinded,  broken  off,  and  hated 
of  all  nations,  and  they  are  to  remain  so  to  the  end  of 
the  age.  This  age  is  not  the  time  of  the  salvation 
of  society;  that  great  undertaking  is  clearly  in  the 
purpose  of  God,  but  it  is  reserved  for  the  age  which 
is  yet  to  come.  The  present  age  is  characterized  by 
a  unique  emphasis  on  the  individual.  The  death 
of  Christ  contemplated  above  all  else  the  need  of 
the  individual  sinner.  The  Gospel  of  grace,  which 
the  death  of  Christ  made  possible,  is  an  appeal  to 
the  individual  alone,  and  the  very  faith  by  which  it 
is  received  is  exercised  only  by  the  individual.  The 
message  of  grace  is  of  a  personal  faith,  a  personal 
salvation,  a  personal  enduement  of  the  Spirit,  a  per- 
sonal gift  for  service,  and  a  personal  transformation 
into  the  image  of  Christ.  The  company  of  individ- 
uals thus  redeemed  and  transformed,  are  to  be  in  the 


The  Life  under  Grace  149 

ages  to  come  the  supreme  manifestation  of  the  riches 
of  God's  grace.  Unto  this  eternal  purpose  the  whole 
universe  was  created  and  all  ages  have  been  pro- 
grammed by  God.  The  glory  of  this  dispensation  is 
lost  to  a  large  extent  when  the  reign  of  the  law  is 
intruded  into  this  age  which  followed  the  death  of 
Christ,  or  when  the  social  order  of  the  kingdom, 
promised  for  a  future  age,  is  expected  before  the 
return  of  the  King.  The  Bible  affords  no  basis  for 
the  supposition  that  the  Lord  will  come  to  a  per- 
fected social  order.  At  His  coming  He  will  gather 
the  saved  to  Himself,  but  the  wicked  He  will  judge 
in  righteousness.  The  transcendent  glory  of  this 
age  is  that  grace  which  will  have  been  either  accepted 
or  rejected  by  the  individual. 

The  teachings  of  grace  are  perfect  and  sufficient 
in  themselves.  They  provide  for  the  instruction  of 
the  child  of  God  in  every  situation  which  may  arise. 
There  is  no  need  that  they  be  supplemented,  or  aug- 
mented, by  the  addition  of  precepts  from  either  the 
law  of  Moses,  or  the  teachings  of  the  kingdom. 

(3)     The  Teachings  of  the  Kingdom. 

The  teachings  of  the  kingdom  have  not  been  ap- 
plied to  men  in  all  the  ages ;  nay,  more,  they  have  not 
yet  been  applied  to  any  man.  Since  they  anticipate 
the  binding  of  Satan,  a  purified  earth,  and  the  per- 
sonal reign  of  the  King,  they  cannot  be  applied  until 
God's  appointed  time  when  these  accompanying  con- 
ditions on  the  earth  have  been  brought  to  pass.  The 
kingdom  laws  will  be  addressed  to  Israel  and  beyond 
them  to  all  the  nations  who  will  enter  the  kingdom. 
It  will  be  the  first  and  only  universal  reign  of  right- 


150  Grace 

eousness  and  peace  in  the  history  of  the  world.  One 
nation  was  in  view  when  the  law  of  Moses  was  in 
force  in  the  earth;  the  individual  is  in  view  during 
this  age  of  grace;  and  the  whole  social  order  of  man- 
kind will  be  in  view  when  the  kingdom  is  set  up  in 
the  earth. 

The  reign  of  the  King  is  never  said  to  be  ushered 
in  by  a  gradual  process  of  world  improvement ;  it  is 
introduced  suddenly  and  with  great  violence.  The 
return  of  the  King  to  rule  is  like  a  smiting  stone, 
and  will  demolish  the  structure  of  world  empires, 
will  grind  them  to  powder,  and  will  scatter  them  as 
the  wind  scatters  the  chaff  of  the  summer  threshing 
floor  (Dan.  2:31-45).  Satan  and  the  satanic  decep- 
tion will  have  been  removed  from  the  earth,  Israel 
will  have  realized  the  glory  of  her  covenants,  and 
the  long  predicted  blessing  will  have  come  upon  all 
the  Gentiles,  and  upon  creation  itself.  The  church 
is  not  once  mentioned  in  relation  to  the  teachings  of 
the  kingdom,  nor  are  those  teachings  applied  to  her; 
for  her  part  in  the  kingdom  is  not  to  be  reigned 
over,  but  to  reign  with  Christ — her  Head.  She,  be- 
ing the  Bride  of  the  King,  is  His  consort.  She  will 
still  be  under  the  heavenly  teachings  of  grace,  and 
her  home  will  be  in  the  bosom  of  the  Bridegroom  in 
the  ivory  palace  of  the  King.  The  King  will  reign 
with  a  rod  of  iron.  Sin  and  iniquity  will  be  rebuked 
instantly  and  judged  in  perfect  righteousness.  Clear 
conception  of  the  glory  of  the  kingdom  is  lost  if  it  is 
confused  with  the  age  of  grace  which  precedes  it, 
or  with  the  sinless  new  heavens  and  new  earth  of 
the  eternal  state  which  follows  it.  The  kingdom 


The  Life  under  Grace  151 

closes  with  a  demonstration  of  the  failure  of  man  and 
thus  it  adds  the  last  message  of  the  converging  testi- 
mony to  the  wickedness  of  the  fallen  heart,  and  to  the 
fact  that  in  the  exceeding  grace  of  God  alone  is  their 
salvation. 

The  teachings  of  the  kingdom  are  found  in  por- 
tions of  the  Psalms,  the  kingdom  prophecies  of  the 
Old  Testament,  and  the  kingdom  teachings  in  the 
Synoptic  Gospels.  These  teachings  are  complete  and 
sufficient  to  direct  the  life  of  the  children  of  the 
kingdom  in  every  condition  that  may  arise  under 
the  rule  of  the  King.  There  is  no  need  that  these 
teachings  be  supplemented  or  augmented  by  addi- 
tions from  either  of  the  other  governing  systems. 

Under  God's  classification,  there  are  only  three 
major  divisions  of  the  human  family — "The  Jew, 
the  Gentile  and  the  church  of  God."  Wherever  they 
are  mentioned  in  any  portion  of  the  Bible  they  are 
recognized  as  distinctly  separate  peoples,  and  it  is 
important  to  follow  the  divine  record  concerning 
each  from  its  beginning  to  its  end. 

The  Jew,  or  Israel,  began  with  Abraham,  was  fav- 
ored in  relationship  to  God  above  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  for  fifteen  hundred  years  in  the  promised 
land,  is  the  object  of  all  of  Jehovah's  purposes  and 
covenants  in  the  earth,  is  now  as  free  from  the  law, 
and  is  as  effectually  shut  up  to  the  Gospel  of  the 
grace  of  God  as  are  the  Gentiles,  and  will  yet  inherit 
the  limitless  blessings  of  all  the  kingdom  covenants 
in  the  earth. 

The  Gentile  began  with  Adam,  received  no  direct 
instruction  or  covenant  from  Jehovah  in  all  the  ages 


152  Grace 

past,  is  now  the  object  of  appeal,  with  the  Jew,  in 
the  Gospel  of  grace,  and  will  share  in  the  glory  of 
the  kingdom  to  come,  when  the  divine  blessing  will 
be  poured  out  on  all  the  Gentiles  (Acts.  15: 17). 

The  Church  began  with  the  death  of  Christ  and 
the  descent  of  the  Spirit,  is  the  divine  objective 
in  this  age,  is  a  heavenly  people  taken  from  both 
Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  will  reign  with  the  King  as 
His  Bride,  in  the  ages  to  come. 

Since  there  is  so  wide  a  difference  in  the  character 
of  these  ages — of  law,  of  grace,  and  of  the  kingdom 
— and  in  the  peoples  of  the  earth — the  Jew,  the 
Gentile,  and  the  Church — as  they  stand  related  to 
God  throughout  the  ages,  it  is  to  be  expected  that 
there  will  be  a  variation  in  the  divine  government 
according  to  the  essential  character  of  the  several 
ages.  This  is  not  only  reasonable;  it  is  the  precise 
teaching  of  the  Bible.  Since  these  great  governing 
systems  are  wholly  separate  and  sufficient  in  them- 
selves, and  since  there  is  much  which  is  held  in  com- 
mon in  them  all,  a  brief  comparison  of  the  systems 
is  here  undertaken: 

First.  The  Similarity  and  Dissimilarity  Between 
the  Teachings  of  the  Law  of  Moses  and  the  Teachings 
of  Grace. 

In  this  discussion,  the  law  of  Moses  will  be  lim- 
ited to  the  Decalogue;  for  no  legalist  proposes  to 
carry  forward  into  grace  the  judgments  which  gov- 
erned the  social  life  of  Israel,  or  the  ordinances  which 
governed  their  religious  ritual  in  the  land.  How- 
ever, the  moral  commandments  of  the  Decalogue  are 
almost  universally  imposed  upon  the  church  by  these 


The  Life  under  Grace 


153 


legalists.  In  justification  of  this  imposition,  the  plea 
is  usually  made  that  apart  from  the  direct  applica- 
tion of  the  Decalogue  there  could  be  no  divine  au- 
thority or  government  in  the  earth. 

In  no  sense  does  this  question  involve  the  issues  of 
world  government;  for  God  has  never  addressed 
either  the  teachings  of  the  law,  or  the  teachings  of 
grace  to  the  whole  world.  The  world  has  borrowed 
certain  moral  precepts  from  the  Bible  for  its  self- 
government  ;  but  it  does  not  follow  that  God  has  ac- 
cepted the  world  on  the  basis  of  the  teachings  of 
the  law,  or  the  teachings  of  grace.  In  reality,  the 
world  is  shut  up  to  the  one  appeal  of  the  Gospel 
of  grace.  Until  this  appeal  is  heeded,  the  individual 
is  neither  under  law,  nor  grace,  as  a  rule  of  life; 
but  is  "under  sin." 

The  issue  is,  therefore,  between  law  and  grace  as 
governing  principles  in  the  life  of  the  Christian. 
Must  Christians  turn  to  the  Decalogue  for  a  basis  of 
divine  government  in  their  daily  lives?  Scripture 
answers  this  question  with  a  positive  assertion:  "Ye 
are  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace."  If  this  be 
true,  are  the  great  moral  values  of  the  Decalogue 
discarded?  By  no  means;  for  it  will  be  seen  that 
every  moral  precept  of  the  Decalogue,  but  one,  has 
been  restated  with  increased  emphasis  in  the  teach- 
ings of  grace.  These  precepts  do  not  reappear  under 
grace  in  the  character  and  coloring  of  the  law,  but, 
rather,  in  the  character  and  coloring  of  pure  grace. 
The  following  brief  comparison  will  demonstrate  the 
fact  that  the  moral  values  of  the  law  are  reincorpora- 
ted  in  the  teachings  of  grace. 


154 


Grace 


1.    "Thou     shalt    have    no 
other  gods  before  me." 


1.  "We  .  .  .  preach       unto        , 
you  that  ye  should  turn  from  \  fa 
these  vanities  unto  the  living 
God"   (Acts  14:  15). 


2.  "Thou    shalt    not    make 
unto  thee  any  graven  image; 
.  .  .  thou  shalt  not  bow  down      John    5:  21). 
to  them  nor  serve  them  " 


2.  "Little     children,     keep     /  *\ 
yourselves     from     idols"     (1    /  ~" 


3.  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the  3.  "But  above  all  things 
name  of  the  LORD  thy  God  brethren,  swear  not,  neither 
in  vain."  by  heaven,  neither  by  the 

earth,   neither   by   any   other 
oath"   (Jas.  5:12). 


4.  "Remember  the  sabbath 
/day  to  keep  it  holy." 


5.  "Honour  thy  father  and 
thy  mother." 


6.  "Thou  shalt  not  kill." 


7.  "Thou    shalt    not    com- 
mit adultery." 


8.  "Thou  shalt  not  steal." 


9.  "Thou    shalt    not    bear 
false  witness." 

10.  "Thou  shalt  not  covet." 


4.  No     such     command     is      . 
found    in    the    teachings    of 


grace. 


5.  "Children      obey      your      / 
parents  in  the  Lord:  for  this      V> 
is   right"    (Eph.    6:1). 

6.  "Whosoever    hateth    his 
brother  is  a  murderer:  and  ye     / 
know  that  no  murderer  hath    /- 
eternal  life  abiding  in  him" 

(1   John   3:  15). 

7.  "Neither  fornicators,  nor 
idolaters,  nor  adulterers  .  .  .  /  J 
shall  inherit  the  kingdom  of 
God"    (1  Cor.  6:  9,  10). 


8.  "Steal  no  more 
4:  28). 


(Eph. 
9.  "Lie  not"    (Col.  3:9). 


10.  "Covetousness,  let  it  not      / 
be  named  among  you"   (Eph. 
5:3"). 


The  Life  under  Grace  155 

While  some  principles  of  the  Mosaic  law  are  re- 
stated under  grace,  those  aspects  of  the  law  which  are 
foreign  to  grace  are  omitted.  The  command  to  keep 
the  seventh  day  is  omitted  wholly.  This  fact  and 
the  reason  thereof  will  be  considered  more  at  length 
later  in  the  discussion.  So,  also,  the  one  promise  of 
the  Decalogue  is  omitted.  This  promise  occurs  in 
connection  with  the  precept  concerning  the  obedience 
of  children.  It  reads :  ' '  Honour  thy  father  and  thy 
mother;  that  thy  days  may  be  long  upon  the  land, 
which  the  LORD  thy  God  giveth  thee."  The  fact 
that  the  law  presented  a  promise  to  obedient  chil- 
dren is  pointed  out  in  the  New  Testament  (Eph.  6: 
1),  with  no  inference  that  the  promise  is  in  effect  now ; 
but  as  a  reminder  of  that  which  obtained  under  the 
law.  It  would  be  difficult  for  any  individual,  or 
child,  in  the  Church  to  establish  a  claim  to  a  God- 
given  land,  or  to  demonstrate  that  any  law  now  ob- 
tains by  which  long  life  is  guaranteed  to  those  who 
are  n,ow  obedient  to  parents.  Again,  concerning 
Israel  and  her  relation  to  the  land  it  is  written: 
"Trust  in  the  LORD,  and  do  good;  so  shalt  thou 
dwell  in  the  land,  and  verily  thou  shalt  be  fed"; 
"The  righteous  shall  inherit  the  land,  and  dwell 
therein  for  ever";  "For  the  upright  shall  dwell 
in  the  land"  (Ps.  37:3,  29;  Prov.  2:21).  No  land 
has  been  given  to  the  Christian,.  He  is  a  "stranger 
and  pilgrim"  here,  an  "ambassador,"  a  citizen  of 
heaven.  If  he  is  taught  in  the  Scriptures,  he  is  not 
looking  for  a  long  life  here ;  but  he  is  looking  for  the 
coming  of  his  Lord.  He  is  not  clinging  to  this  life; 
for  ' '  to  depart,  and  to  be  with  Christ,  ...  is  far  bet- 
ter." The  serious  manner  in  which  people  apply  an 


156  Grace 

Old  Testament  promise,  impossible  under  grace,  to 
themselves  is  a  revelation  of  the  measure  of  inatten- 
tion with  which  the  Scriptures  are  too  often  read  and 
quoted.  Since  every  adaptable  precept  of  the  law  is 
restated  in  grace,  it  is  not  necessary  to  violate  the 
Scriptures  by  forcing  the  law  into  the  sphere  of 
grace. 

The  Decalogue,  in  its  moral  principles,  is  not  only 
restated  in  grace,  but  its  principles  are  greatly  am- 
plified. This  is  illustrated,  again,  by  the  same  pre- 
cept concerning  the  obedience  of  children.  In  the 
teachings  of  grace,  the  whole  issue  of  obedience  is 
taken  up  at  length,  and  to  this  is  added  the  instruc- 
tions to  parents  as  well.  Under  the  teachings  of 
grace,  the  appeal  of  the  first  commandment  is  re- 
peated no  less  than  fifty  times,  the  second  twelve 
times,  the  third  four  times,  the  fourth  (about  the 
sabbath  day)  not  at  all,  the  fifth  six  times,  the  sixth 
six  times,  the  seventh  twelve  times,  the  eighth  six 
times,  the  ninth  four  times,  and  the  tenth  nine  times. 

Yet  further,  that  which  is  even  more  vital  should 
be  noted:  The  teachings  of  grace  are  not  only  grac- 
ious in  character  and  of  the  very  nature  of  heaven 
itself,  but  they  are  extended  to  cover  the  entire 
range  of  the  new  issues  of  the  life  and  service  of  the 
Christian.  The  Ten  Commandments  require  no  life 
of  prayer,  no  Christian  service,  no  evangelism,  no 
missionary  effort,  no  gospel  preaching,  no  life  and 
walk  in  the  Spirit,  no  Fatherhood  of  God,  no  union 
with  Christ,  no  fellowship  of  saints,  no  hope  of  salva- 
tion, and  no  hope  of  heaven.  If  it  is  asserted  that  we 
have  all  these  because  we  have  both  the  law  and  grace, 
it  is  replied  that  the  law  adds  nothing  to  grace  but 


The  Life  under  Grace  157 

confusion  and  contradiction,  and  that  there  is  the 
most  faithful  warning  in  the  Scriptures  against  this 
admixture. 

A  few  times  the  teachings  of  the  law  are  referred 
to  by  the  writers  of  the  Epistles  by  way  of  illus- 
tration. Having  stated  the  obligation  under  grace, 
they  cite  the  fact  that  this  same  principle  obtained 
under  the  law.  There  is,  however,  no  basis  here 
for  a  co-mingling  of  these  two  governing  systems. 

The  law  of  Moses  presents  a  covenant  of  works 
to  be  wrought  in  the  energy  of  the  flesh;  the  teach- 
ings of  grace  present  a  covenant  of  faith  to  be 
wrought  in  the  energy  of  the  Spirit. 

Second.  The  Similarity  and  Dissimilarity  Be- 
tween the  Teachings  of  the  Law  of  Moses  and  the 
Teachings  of  the  Kingdom. 

As  will  be  seen  more  fully  further  on,  these  two 
systems  of  divine  government  are  both  legal  in  char- 
acter and  order.  If  this  is  true,  it  is  to  be  expected 
that  there  is  much  in  common  between  them.  (1) 
They  are  similar  because  they  are  both  based  on  a 
covenant  of  works.  (2)  They  are  similar  because 
of  elements  which  are  common  to  both.  (3)  They 
are  dissimilar  because  of  certain  points  in  which 
they  differ. 

1.  They  are  similar  because  they  are  based  on  a 
covenant  of  works. 

The  nature  of  a  covenant  which  is  based  on  human 
works  is  obvious.  Whatever  God  promises  under 
such  a  covenant,  is  conditioned  on  the  faithfulness  of 
man.  Every  blessing  under  the  law  of  Moses  was  so 


158  Grace 

conditioned,  and  every  blessing  in  the  kingdom  re- 
lationship will  be  found  to  be  so  ordered.  Turning 
to  the  kingdom  teachings  of  Christ  wherein  the  is- 
sues of  personal  conduct  and  obligation  in  the  king- 
dom are  taken  up,  it  will  be  seen  that  all  the  king- 
dom promises  to  the  individual  are  based  on  human 
merit.  The  kingdom  blessings  are  reserved  for  the 
poor  in  spirit,  the  meek,  the  merciful,  the  pure  in 
heart,  and  the  peace  maker.  It  is  a  covenant  of 
works  only  and  the  emphatic  word  is  "do."  "This 
do  and  thou  shalt  live,"  is  the  highest  promise  of 
the  law.  As  men  judge,  so  shall  they  be  judged.  A 
tree  is  approved,  or  rejected,  by  its  fruits.  And  not 
every  one  that  saith  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven;  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of 
"my  Father"  which  is  in  heaven.  As  the  individual 
forgives,  so  will  he  be  forgiven.  And  except  per- 
sonal righteousness  shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of 
the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  there  shall  be  no  entrance 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  To  interpret  this  right- 
eousness which  is  required  to  be  the  imputed  right- 
ecusnrss  of  God,  is  to  disregard  the  teaching  of  the 
context,  and  to  introduce  an  element  which  is  not 
once  found  in  this  whole  system  of  divine  govern- 
ment. The  kingdom  teachings  of  the  "Sermon  on 
the  Mount"  are  concluded  with  the  parable  of  the 
house  built  on  the  rock.  The  key  to  this  message  is 
given  in  the  words,  "Whosoever  heareth  these  say- 
ings of  mine,  and  doeth  them." 

Turning  to  the  law  of  Moses,  we  discover  that  it 
presents  no  other  relation  to  God  for  the  individual 
than  this  same  covenant  of  works:  "And  it  shall 
come  to  pass,  that  if  thou  shalt  hearken  diligently 


The  Life  under  Grace  159 

unto  the  voice  of  the  LORD  thy  God,  to  observe  and 
to  do  all  his  commandments  which  I  command  thee 
this  day  [including  the  Decalogue],  that  the  LORD 
thy  God  will  set  thee  on  high  above  all  nations  of  the 
earth :  and  all  these  blessings  shall  come  on  thee,  and 
overtake  thee  .  .  .  Blessed  shalt  thou  be  .  .  .  ' 
(Deut.  28 : 1-14).  "But  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  thou 
wilt  not  hearken  unto  the  voice  of  the  LORD  thy  God, 
to  observe  and  to  do  all  his  commandments  and  his 
statutes  which  I  command  thee  this  day;  that  all 
these  curses  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  overtake 
thee  .  .  .  Cursed  shalt  thou  be  ..."  (Deut.  28: 15- 
68).  "Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother:  that  thy 
days  may  be  long  upon  the  land  which  the  LORD  thy 
God  giveth  thee"  (Ex.  20:12).  "All  that  the 
LORD  hath  spoken  we  wiU  do"  (Ex.  19:8).  "Mas- 
ter, what  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life?  He  said 
unto  him,  What  is  written  in  the  law?  how  readest 
thou?  And  he  answering  said,  Thou  shalt  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  .  .  .  And  he  said  unto  him,  Thou  hast 
answered  right:  this  do,  and  thou  shalt  live"  (Lk. 
10:25-28). 

By  these  references  to  the  law  of  Moses  and  the  law 
of  the  kingdom,  it  may  be  seen  that  both  of  these 
systems  are  based  wholly  on  a  covenant  of  works. 

2.  They  are  similar  because  of  elements  which  are 
common  to  both. 

In  the  law  of  the  kingdom,  the  Mosaic  law  is  car- 
ried forward  and. intensified.  "Think  not  that  I  am 
come  to  destroy  the  law,  or  the  prophets:  I  am  not 
come  to  destroy  but  to  fulfil.  For  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  Till  heaven  and  earth  pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle 


160  Grace 

shall  in  no  wise  pass  from  the  law,  till  all  be  fulfilled. 
Whosoever  therefore  shall  break  one  of  these  least 
commandments,  and  shall  teach  men  so,  he  shall  be 
called  the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  ...  Ye 
have  heard  that  it  was  said  by  them  of  old  time,  Thou 
shalt  not  kill  .  .  .  But  I  say  unto  you,  That  whoso- 
ever is  angry  with  his  brother  without  a  cause  shall 
be  in  danger  of  the  judgment.  ...  Ye  have  heard 
that  it  was  said  by  them  of  old  time,  Thou  shalt  not 
commjit  adultery;  but  I  say  unto  you,  That 'whoso- 
ever looketh  on  a  woman  to  lust  after  her  hath  com- 
mitted adultery  with  her  already  in  his  heart"  (Mt. 
5 : 17-28.  Cf  31-48 ;  6 : 1-18,  25-34) .  ' '  Therefore  all 
things  whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  to 
you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them ;  for  this  is  the  law  and  the 
prophets"  (Mt.  7:12). 

By  these  illustrative  passages  it  is  clear  that  the  law 
of  Moses  and  the  law  of  the  kingdom  are  similar  in 
that  they  contain  elements  which  are  common  to  both. 

3.  They  are  dissimilar  "because  of  certain  points 
in  which  they  differ. 

In  the  law  of  the  kingdom,  certain  features  are  ad- 
ded which  are  not  found  in  the  law  of  Moses.  These 
new  features  can  be  mentioned  here  only  in  part. 

It  has  been  revealed  in  the  Scriptures  above  quoted 
that  the  law  is  intensified  in  the  kingdom  teachings. 
From  these  no  element  of  the  law  of  Moses  has  been 
subtracted.  Rather,  to  the  Mosaic  revelation  are  ad- 
ded the  kingdom  teachings  of  Christ  concerning  mar- 
riage and  divorce,  the  taking  of  an  oath,  and  the  per- 
sonal obligation  to  others.  The  law  demanding  "an 
eye  for  an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth"  is  replaced 


The  Life  under  Grace  161 

by  required  submission.  The  other  cheek  is  to  be 
turned,  the  second  mile  is  to  be  traveled,  and  to  him 
that  asketh,  there  is  to  be  no  refusal.  Even  the 
enemies  are  to  be  loved.  These  things  are  to  be  done 
"that  ye  may  be  the  children  of  your  Father  which  is 
in  heaven,"  and  are  only  further  evidences  that  in 
fact  and  force  they  issue  from  the  covenant  of  works. 
There  is  a  new  appeal  for  sincerity  in  alms-giving, 
in  prayer,  and  in  fasting.  There  is  a  new  revelation 
concerning  prayer;  but  it  is  prayer  for  the  kingdom 
and  according  to  conditions  in  the  kingdom  alone. 
Special  instruction  is  given  concerning  the  use  of 
riches  in  the  kingdom  and  also  concerning  anxiety 
and  care. 

Third.  The  Similarity  and  Dissimilarity  Between 
the  Teachings  of  Grace  and  the  Laws  of  the  Kingdom. 

The  importance  of  an  unprejudiced  consideration 
of  these  Scriptures  which  disclose  the  whole  field 
of  comparison  between  the  teachings  of  grace  and  the 
laws  of  the  kingdom  cannot  be  too  strongly  empha- 
sized. The  theme  is  extensive,  but  an  outline-treat- 
ment only  can  be  given  here.  While  this  study  of 
contrasts  should  be  extended  into  all  the  kingdom 
teachings  of  the  Gospels,  the  plan  will  be  to  follow 
a  brief  analysis  of  the  Manifesto  of  the  King  as  re- 
corded in  Matthew,  chapters  5  to  7,  and  to  compare 
the  various  precepts  there  revealed  with  the  precepts 
given  to  the  believer  under  grace.  It  will  be  neces- 
sary, also,  to  compare  these  precepts  with  the  king- 
dom teachings  of  the  Old  Testament;  for  it  will  be 
found  that  the  teachings  of  the  kingdom  presented 
in  Matthew,  chapters  5  to  7,  are  in  exact  accord 


1 62  Grace 

with  the  Old  Testament  predictions  regarding  the 
kingdom,  and  are  almost  wholly  in  disagreement  with 
the  teachings  of  grace. 

In  Luke  16:16  it  is  written:  "The  law  and  the 
prophets  were  until  John:  since  that  time  the  king- 
dom of  God  is  preached,  and  every  man  presseth  into 
it."  The  message  of  John  the  Baptist  was  some- 
thing new.  It  was  in  no  sense  the  preaching  of  the 
"law  and  the  prophets"  as  a  direct  application  of 
the  Mosaic  system.  Nevertheless,  his  preaching  was 
purely  legal  in  character.  An  important  exception 
to  this  is  found  in  the  Gospel  by  John.  In  that  Gos- 
pel, the  characterizing  words,  selected  from  all  the 
sayings  of  John  the  Baptist  are,  "Behold  the  Lamb 
of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world" 
(1:29).  The  Gospel  by  John  is  distinctly  of  salva- 
tion and  grace  through  believing,  and  the  selection 
of  this  one  message  from  John  the  Baptist  beautifully 
illustrates  the  mind  and  purpose  of  the  Spirit  in  the 
selection  of  material  for  the  construction  of  that 
Gospel  of  divine  grace.  This  exceptional  word  from 
John  the  Baptist,  fitted  to  the  message  of  grace  in 
the  Gospel  by  John,  should  not  be  confused  with  his 
legalistic  preaching  as  recorded  in  the  Synoptic  Gos- 
pels, where  his  real  ministry  as  the  forerunner  is 
set  forth.  What  he  preached,  is  clearly  stated  in 
Luke  3 :  7-14 :  ' '  Bring  forth  therefore  fruits  worthy 
of  repentance  .  .  .  And  the  people  asked  him,  saying, 
What  shall  we  do  then  ?  He  answered  and  saith  unto 
them,  He  that  hath  two  coats,  let  him  impart  to  him 
that  hath  none;  and  he  that  hath  meat,  let  him  do 
likewise.  Then  came  also  publicans  to  be  baptized, 
and  said  unto  him,  Master,  what  shall  we  do?  And 


The  Life  under  Grace  163 

he  said  unto  them,  Exact  no  more  than  that  which 
is  appointed  you.  And  the  soldiers  likewise  de- 
manded of  him,  saying,  And  what  shall  we  do  ?  And 
he  said  unto  them,  Do  violence  to  no  man,  neither 
accuse  any  falsely  ;  and  be  content  with  your  wages.  '  ' 

The  intense  emphasis  on  the  covenant  of  meritor- 
ious works  is  obvious  in  this  message;  but  John  did 
not  preach  Moses  and  the  prophets.  The  law  and  the 
prophets  were  until  John.  It  is  to  be  concluded 
that  the  preaching  of  John  the  Baptist  was  wholly 
new,  and  was  according  to  his  mission  as  herald 
of  the  King;  but  that  message  is  legalistic,  and  not 
gracious.  It  is  a  covenant  of  works,  and  not  a  cov-  , 
enant  of  faith. 

Added  light  is  also  given  in  Luke  16  :  16  as  to  the 
kingdom  character  of  John's  preaching.  The  divine 
rule  in  the  earth  which  Matthew  terms  "the  king- 
dom of  heaven"  is  by  Luke  termed  "the  kingdom  of 
God."  This  is  justified  since  the  kingdom  of 
God  includes  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  or  the  earth- 
rule  of  the  King.  Since  Matthew  and  Luke  are  so  » 
evidently  referring  to  the  same  divine  rule  in  the 
earth,  and  often  reporting  the  same  message  when 
employing  these  two  phrases,  it  is  conclusive  that 
Luke's  use  of  the  term,  "the  kingdom  of  God,"  here, 
and  elsewhere,  is  with  reference  to  the  limited  divine  ,., 
rule  in  the  earth.  Into  that  kingdom,  men  who  en-'  •= 
ter  are  said  to  be  "pressing  in."  "To  crowd  one- 
self in,"  is  the  literal  meaning,  and  the  word  sug- 
f|ffnr*  and  implies  the  need  of 


merit,  which  is  required  for  entrance  into  the  king- 
dom. 

There  are  at  least  three  major  distinctions  which 


164  Grace 

will  appear  when  the  teachings  of  grace  are  con- 
trasted with  the  teachings  of  the  kingdom. 

(1)  In  the  kingdom  message,  hope  is,  in  the  main, 
centered  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and,  in  Mark 
and  Luke,  in  that  aspect  of  the  kingdom  of  God  which 
corresponds  with  the  kingdom  of  heaven.     This,  it 
should  be  remembered,  is  not  heaven:  in  this  con- 
nection, it  is  the  rule  of  the  Messiah-King  in  the 
earth.     However,  the  larger  rule  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  is  mentioned  once  (Mt.  6:33),  and  at  a  point 
when  all  the  divine  intefesfsTire  in  view,  and  three 
times  the  kingdom  message  holds  the   anticipation 
of  heaven  itself  before  its  children  (Mt.  5: 12;  6:  20; 
7:23).     In  the  teachings  of  grace  it  is  heaven  itself 
which  is  in  view,  with  never  a  reference  to  the  king- 
dom of  heaven,  other  than  that  the  saints  shall  reign 
with  the  King.     Christians,  on  the  other  hand,  are 

'  often  related  to  the  larger  sphere  of  the  kingdom  of 
"God  (See  John  3:  3). 

(2)  These  two  lines  of  teaching  may  be  identified, 
also,  by  the  use  of  the  great  words  they  employ. 
According  to  both  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New, 
righteousness  and  peace  are  the  great  words  of  the 
kingdom.     The  "Sermon  on  the  Mount"  is  the  ex- 
pansion of  the  full  meaning  of  the  personal  righteous- 
ness which  is  required  in  the  kingdom.     The  great 
words  in  this  age  are  believe  and  grace.    Not  once  do 
these  words  appear  in  connection  with  the  kingdom 
teachings  of  Matthew,  chapters  5  to  7.    Mercy  is  un- 
folded in  grace,  rather  than  in  righteousness. 

(3)  The  kingdom  teachings,  like  the  law  of  Moses, 
are  based  on  a  covenant  of  works.     The  teachings  of 
grace,  on  the  other  hand,  are  based  on  a  covenant  of 


The  Life  under  Grace  165 

faith.  In  the  one  case,  righteousness  is  demanded; 
in  the  other  it  is  provided,  both  imputed  and  im- 
parted, or  inwrought.  One  is  of  a  blessing  to  be 
bestowed  because  of  a  perfect  life,  the  other  is  of  a 
life  to  be  lived  because  of  a  perfect  blessing  already  , 
received. 

Too  often  it  has  been  supposed  that  the  kingdom 
reign  of  Messiah  will  be  a  period  of  sinlessness  on  the 
earth,  corresponding  to  the  new  heavens  and  new 
earth  which  will  follow.  Every  Scripture  bearing 
on  the  kingdom  emphasizes  the  moral  conditions 
which  will  obtain  in  the  kingdom.  Because  of  the 
binding  of  Satan,  and  the  immediate  judgment  for 
sin,  the  high  moral  requirements  in  the  kingdom  will 
be  possible ;  but  there  will  be  evil  to  judge,  the  enemy 
will  persecute,  and  many  who  have  professed  will  fail 
because  they  have  not  actually  done  the  will  of  the 
King.  So  great  will  be  the  moral  advance  in  world 
conditions  in  the  kingdom  over  the  present  age,  that 
righteousness  will  then  "reign";  while  at  the  present 
time,  righteousness  "suffers"  (2  Tim.  3:12). 

The  various  topics  presented  in  the  "Sermon  on 
the  Mount,"  are  here  considered  in  order: 

1.     The  Beatitudes  (Mt.  5: 1-12). 

This  kingdom  message  opens  with  the  record  of  the 
nine-fold  blessing  which  is  promised  and  provided 
for  the  faithful  child  of  the  kingdom.  These  bless- 
ings are  won  through  merit.  This  is  in  sharp  con- 
trast to  the  blessings  in  the  exalted  position  of  the 
Christian  to  which  he  instantly  attains  through  Christ 
at  the  moment  he  believes. 

a.  "Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit  [humble] :  for 


1 66  Grace 

theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  As  the  little 
child,  "of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  In  the 
Old  Testament  vision  of  the  coming  manifestation  of 
the  King,  it  is  said:  "I  dwell  in  the  high  and  holy 
place,  with  him  also  that  is  of  a  contrite  and  humble 
spirit,  to  revive  the  spirit  of  the  humble,  and  to  revive 
the  heart  of  the  contrite  ones"  (Isa.  57: 15).  To  the 
Christian  it  is  said:  "Put  on  therefore,  as  the  elect 
of  God,  holy  and  beloved,  bowels  of  mercies,  kindness, 
humbleness  of  mind"  (Col.  3  : 12).  These  virtues  are 
not  put  on  by  the  Christian  to  gain  heaven ;  much  less 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  They  are  put  on  because 
these  elements  of  character  belong  to  the  one  who  is 
already  "elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved."  Christ  is 
the  pattern  (Phil.  2:8),  and  God  resists  aught  but 
humbleness  of  mind  (Jas.  4:6).  In  the  teachings  of 
grace,  "put  on"  does  not  mean  to  pretend,  or  assume; 
it  is  the  manifestation  of  the  life  through  the  power 
of  the  Spirit  (See  Eph.  4 :  24 ;  6 : 11 ;  Col.  3 : 12) . 

b.  "Blessed  are  they  that  mourn:  for  they  shall  be 
comforted. ' '    Mourning  does  not  belong  to  the  Bride 
of  Christ.     To  her  a  different  message  has  been  given : 
"JEfcejajce,  and  again  I  say,  Rejoice."    Mourning  is 
the  portion  of  Israel  until  her  King  comes,  and  when 
He  comes,  it  will  be  "to  proclaim  the  acceptable  year 
of  the  LORD,  and  the  day  of  vengeance  of  our  God ;  to 
comfort  all  that  mourn;  to  appoint  unto  them  that 
mourn  in  Zion,  to  give  unto  them  beauty  for  ashes, 
and  the  oil  of  joy  for  mourning,  and  the  garment  of 
praise  for  the  spirit  of  heaviness"  (Isa.  61 : 2,  3.     Cf 
Isa.  51:3;  66:13;  35:10;  51:11;  Zech.  1:17). 

c.  "Blessed  are  the  meek:  for  they  shall  inherit  the 
earth,"    Under  grace,  meekness  is  wrought  in  the 


The  Life  under  Grace  167 

believer  by  the  Spirit,  and  is  never  rewarded ;  but  the 
judgments  of  the  King  will  be  to  ''reprove  with 
equity  for  the  meek  of  the  earth"  (Isa.  11 : 4.  Cf  Isa. 
29:19;  Zeph.  2:3;  Ps.  45:4;  76:9).  The  earth  is 
to  be  inherited  in  the  kingdom  reign.  The  glory  of 
the  King  will  be  in  the  earth.  It  could  hardly  be 
supposed  that  the  meek  are  inheriting  the  earth  now 
or  that  this  is  any  promise  to  the  Church,  to  whom  no 
earthly  promise  is  made.  Those  who  are  kept  by  the 
power  of  God  through  faith  unto  salvation  ready  to 
be  revealed  in  the  last  time,  have  an  inheritance  in- 
corruptible, and  undefiled,  and  that  f  adeth  not  away, 
reserved  in  heaven. 

d.  "Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness:  for  they  shall  be  filled."     The 
Christian  may  crave  a  closer  walk  with  God;  but  he  £/  j 
is  already  "made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him." 

In  distinction  to  this,  righteousness  is  that  quality 
which  must  be  attained  in  the  kingdom  (Mt.  5:20). 
"For  Zion's  sake  will  I  not  hold  my  peace,  and  for 
Jerusalem's  sake  will  I  not  rest,  until  the  righteous- 
ness thereof  go  forth  as  brightness,  and  the  salvation 
thereof  as  a  lamp  that  burneth.  And  the  Gentiles 
shall  see  thy  righteousness,  and  all  kings  thy  glory" 
(Isa.  62:1,  2.  Cf  Ps.  72:1-4;  85:10,  11,  13;  Isa. 
11:4,5). 

e.  "Blessed  are  the  merciful:  for  they  shall  obtain 
mercy. ' '    The  exact  condition  revealed  in  this  prom- 
ise should  be  carefully  considered ;  for  in  this  passage, 
mercy  from  God  is  made  to  depend  wholly  on  the 
exercise  of  mercy  toward  others.     This  is  pure  law. 
Under  grace  the  Christian  is  besought  to  be  merciful,  " 
as  one  who  has  already  obtained  mercy  (Eph.  2 : 4,  5;^ 


1 68  Grace 

Tit.  3:5).  The  mercy  of  God  will  go  forth  in  grace 
to  the  nation  Israel  when  He  gathers  them  into  their 
own  land  (Ezk.  39:25);  but  He  will,  at  the  same 
time,  deal  with  them  as  individuals  by  law :  ' '  But  the 
mercy  of  the  LORD  is  from  everlasting  to  everlasting 
upon  them  that  fear  him,  and  his  righteousness  unto 
children's  children;  to  such  as  keep  his  covenant,  and 
to  those  that  remember  his  commandments  to  do 
them"  (Ps.  103:  17,  18).  "Therefore  hath  the  LORD 
recompensed  me  according  to  my  righteousness,  ac- 
cording to  the  cleanness  of  my  hands  in  his  eyesight. 
With  the  merciful  thou  wilt  shew  thyself  merciful; 
and  with  the  upright  man  thou  wilt  shew  thyself  up- 
right ;  with  the  pure  thou  wilt  shew  thyself  pure ;  and 
with  the  froward  thou  wilt  shew  thyself  f reward" 
(Ps.  18:24-26).  Under  grace,  He  is  rich  in  mercy, 
even  when  we  were  ' '  dead  in  sins. ' ' 

f.  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart ;  for  they  shall  see 
God. ' '  Opposed  to  this,  and  under  grace  it  is  written : 
' '  But  we  see  Jesus, ' '  and  ' '  God,  who  commanded  the 
light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath  shined  in  our 
hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory 
of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ"  (Heb.  2 :  9 ;  2  Cor. 
4:6).    In  Christ,  God  now  is  revealed  to  the  believer, 
while  the  kingdom  promise  to  the  pure  in  heart  is  that 
they  shall  see  God.     The  kingdom  promises  continue : 

/"He  that  walketh  righteously,  and  speaketh  up- 
rightly. .  .  .  Thine  eyes  shall  see  the  king  in  his 
beauty"  (Isa.  33:15-18).  "Who  shall  ascend  into 
the  hill  of  the  LORD?  or  who  shall  stand  in  his  holy 
place?  He  that  hath  clean  hands,  and  a  pure  heart" 
(Ps.  24:3,  4). 

g.  "Blessed  are  the  peacemakers:  for  they  shall 


The  Life  under  Grace  169 

be  called  the  children  of  God."  Peace  is  one  of  the 
two  great  words  in  the  kingdom.  The  King  who  is 
"the  Prince  of  Peace,"  shall  so  reign  that  righteous- 
ness and  peace  shall  cover  the  earth  as  waters  cover 
the  face  of  the  deep  (Cf  Ps.  72 :  3,  7) .  In  that  king- 
dom there  will  be  special  distinction  given  to  the  one 
who  promotes  peace.  ' '  They  shall  be  called  the 
children  of  God."  Under  grace,  no  one  is  consti- 
tuted a  child  of  God  by  any  works  whatsoever. 
' '  For  ye  are  all  the  children  of  God  by  faith  in  Christ 
Jesus"  (Gal.  3:26). 

h.  "Blessed  are  they  which  are  persecuted  for 
righteousness'  sake:  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven."  Again,  the  issue  is  righteousness.  The 
Christian,  on  the  contrary,  suffers  with  Christ  and 
for  His  sake,  and  his  reward  is  in  heaven.  "But  all 
these  things  will  they  do  unto  you  for  my  name's 
sake"  (John  15:21).  "All  that  will  live  godly  in 
Christ  Jesus  shall  suffer  persecution"  (2  Tim.  3 : 12). 
.  i.  "Blessed  are  ye,  when  men  shall  revile  you,  and 
persecute  you,  and  shall  say  all  manner  of  evil  against 
you  falsely,  for  my  sake.  Rejoice,  and  be  exceeding 
glad :  for  great  is  your  reward  in  heaven :  for  so  per- 
secuted they  the  prophets  which  were  before  you." 
The  believer  is  called  to  suffer  for  Christ's  sake: 
' '  For  unto  you  it  is  given  in  the  behalf  of  Christ,  not 
only  to  believe  on  him,  but  also  to  suffer  for  his 
sake"  (Phil.  1:29).  "If  we  suffer,  we  shall  also 
reign  with  him"  (2  Tim,  2: 12).  It  should  be  noted 
that  when  the  children  of  the  kingdom  are  compared 
to  any  class  of  men  in  suffering,  they  are  taken  back 
to  prophets  which  were  before  them,  and  not  to  the 
saints  who  comprise  the  body  of  Christ. 


170  Grace 

Concluding  these  observations  concerning  the  nine 
beatitudes,  attention  should  be  given  to  the  fact  that, 
in  contrast  to  the  nine-fold,  self-earned  blessing  of 
the  kingdom,  the  believer  under  grace  is  to  expe- 
rience a  nine-fold  blessing  which  is  produced  in  him 
by  the  direct  power  of  the  indwelling  Spirit.  A  care- 
ful comparison  should  be  made  of  the  nine-fold  bles- 
sing which  is  promised  under  the  kingdom,  with  the 
nine-fold  blessing  which  is  prepared  under  grace. 
It  will  be  seen  that  all  that  is  demanded  under  the 
law  of  the  kingdom  as  a  condition  of  blessing,  is, 
under  grace,  divinely  provided.  The  two  aspects 
of  life  which  are  represented  by  these  two  groups  of 
characterizing  words  are  most  significant.  The  total 
of  all  the  blessings  in  the  kingdom  is  not  comparable 
with  the  superabundant  "fruit  of  the  Spirit" — "love, 
joy,  peace,  longsuffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith, 
meekness,  temperance"  (self-control,  Gal.  5:22,  23). 
The  very  tense  of  the  verb  used  is  important.  Under 
grace,  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  "is,"  which  indicates 
the  present  possession  of  the  blessing  through  pure 
grace;  while  under  the  kingdom,  the  blessing 
"shall  be"  to  such  as  merit  it  by  their  own 
works. 

2.  The  similitudes  of  the  righteous  in  the  king- 
dom (Mt.  5:13-16). 

In  this  portion  of  Scripture  the  children  of  the 
kingdom  are  likened  to  the  salt  of  the  earth,  and  the 
light  of  the  world.  "Salt,"  as  a  figure,  is  not  so  used 
in  the  teachings  of  Moses  or  in  the  teachings  of 
grace.  However,  the  Christian  is  said  to  be  "light 
in  the  Lord,"  and  is  exhorted  to  "walk"  as  a  child 


The  Life  under  Grace  171 

of  the  light  (Eph.  5:8).  Again,  "Ye  are  all  the 
children  of  light,  and  the  children  of  the  day" 
(1  Thes.  5:5).  But,  concerning  Israel  in  her  com- 
ing kingdom  blessing,  it  is  said:  "I  the  LORD  have 
called  thee  in  righteousness,  and  will  hold  thine  hand, 
and  will  keep  thee,  and  give  thee  for  a  covenant  of 
the  people,  for  a  light  to  the  Gentiles";  "I  will  also 
give  thee  for  a  light  to  the  Gentiles,  that  thou  mayest 
be  my  salvation  unto  the  end  of  the  earth";  "Then 
shall  thy  light  break  forth  as  the  morning";  "And 
the  Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy  light,  and  kings  to  the 
brightness  of  thy  rising";  "The  LORD  shall  be  thine 
everlasting  light,  and  the  days  of  thy  mourning  shall 
be  ended"  (Isa.  42:  6;  49:  6;  58:  8;  60:3,20).  StiU 
another  contrast  appears  in  this  connection:  The 
Christian  is  appointed  to  manifest  Christ  (1  Pet. 
2:9);  but  the  children  of  the  kingdom  are  appointed 
to  manifest  their  good  works  (Mt.  5: 16). 

3.  Christ  interprets  the  law  in  its  relation  to  the 
kingdom  (Mt.  5:17-48). 

This  Scripture  declares  that  the  law  shall  not  pass 
until  it  is  fulfilled.  This  has  to  do  with  observance, 
for  it  is  added:  "Whosoever  therefore  shall  break 
one  of  these  least  commandments  .  .  .  shall  be  called 
the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  It  is  the  law 
of  Moses  intensified.  In  so  doing,  Christ  transfers 
the  obligation  from  the  outward  act  to  the  attitude 
of  the  heart.  This  intensifies,  rather  than  relieves, 
its  legal  character.  It  carries  with  it  the  most 
scorching  condemnation  possible  to  law.  The  Chris- 
tian is  not  under  law.  He  has  no  "altar"  other  than 
Christ  (Heb.  13:10).  The  altar  is  always  related 


172  Grace 

either  to  the  Mosaic  system,  or  to  the  coming  king- 
dom, and  is  intensely  legalistic  in  character.  Con- 
cerning the  kingdom  it  is  said:  "Their  burnt-offer- 
ings and  their  sacrifices  shall  be  accepted  upon  mine 
altar"  (Isa.  56:7.  Cf  60:7;  Ezk.  43:13-27;  Zech. 
14:20).  The  child  of  the  kingdom  must  agree  with 
his  adversary  quickly,  lest  he  be  cast  into  prison 
~  where  there"  ts  "ncT3!egree  of  mercy  available  (5:25, 
/  26).  To  the  child  of  God  it  is  said :  "If  it  be  pos- 
/  sible,  as  much  as  lieth  in  you,  live  peaceably  with  all 
I  men"  (Rom.  12: 17-21).  The  high  standard  of  gen- 
erous submission  is,  in  the  kingdom  teachings,  substi- 
tuted in  place  of  the  exact  equity  of  the  law  of  Moses 
(5:  38-48).  In  place  of  the  principle  of  "an  eye  for 
an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth, ' '  the  other  cheek  is  to 
be  turned,  the  cloak  is  to  be  added  to  the  coat,  the 
second  mile  is  to  be  traveled,  no  goods  are  to  be  with- 
held from  him  that  asketh,  and  enemies  are  to  be 
loved.  This  is  not  to  be  done  as  an  expression  of  a 
high  position  already  received  in  grace:  it  is  to  be 
done  meritoriously  that  "ye  may  be  the  children  of 
your  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  Such  relations 
between  men  will  be  required  and  practised  in  the 
day  when  the  King  shall  reign  in  righteousness  and 
Satan  is  bound.  The  teachings  of  grace  concerning 
murder,  adultery,  divorce,  and  swearing,  are  all 
clearly  stated  in  the  Scriptures. 

In  this  portion  of  the  "Sermon  on  the  Mount," 
the  extreme  legal  penalty  for  wrong-doing  is  im- 
posed (5:  20-22,  29,  30).  Is  any  child  of  God  under 
grace  in  danger  of  judgment,  or  the  awful  penalty 
of  hell  fire?  Argument  is  uncalled  for  in  the  light 
of  the  Scriptures:  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 


The  Life  under  Grace  173 

He  that  heareth  my  word,  and  believeth  on  him  that 
sent  me,  hath  everlasting  life,  and  shall  not  come 
into  condemnation  [judgment]  ;  but  is  passed  from 
death  unto  life"  (John  5:24);  "And  I  give  unto 
them  eternal  life ;  and  they  shall  never  perish,  neither 
shall  any  man  [created  thing]  pluck  them  out  of  my 
hand"  (John  10:28);  "There  is  therefore  now  no 
condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus" 
(Rom.  8:1). 

It  is  quite  true  that  believers  will  be  judged  by 
Christ  as  to  the  character  of  their  life  and  service, 
that  the  Father  chastens  every  son  whom  He  re- 
ceiveth,  and  that  the  Apostle  Paul  suggested  that  he 
might  visit  a  certain  church  with  a  rod ;  but  how  dif- 
ferent is  all  this  from  the  penalty  of  hell  fire  which 
is  unconditionally  imposed  on  the  children  of  the 
kingdom  because  of  their  sin !  How  imperfectly  be- 
lievers realize,  when  they  turn  from  grace,  the  awful 
penalties  of  the  law  and  the  meaning  of  eternal  dam- 

/  nation !     How  precious,  too,  that  such  ignorance  of 
the  law  does  not  change  the  abiding,  divine  covenant 

I   of  grace  into  which  the  believer  has  been  brought 

\through  faith  in  Christ! 

4.  Mere  externalism  rebuked  (Mt.  6:1-7,  16- 
18;  7:21-29). 

In  the  kingdom,  a  spirit  of  vain  show  as  the  ac- 
tuating motive  in  alms-giving,  offering  of  prayer,  and 
professions  of  devotion,  will  be  judged  instantly.  On 
the  other  hand,  these  things,  if  done  in  secret,  will 
be  rewarded  "openly."  Such  recompense  should  not 
be  confused  with  the  rewards  for  service  which  are 
promised  the  Christian  at  the  judgment  seat  of 


174  Grace 

Christ.    Humble  faithfulness  in  the  kingdom  will  re- 
ceive its  immediate  recognition  from  the  King. 

5.  Prayer  for  the  kingdom,  and  in  the  kingdom 
(Mt.  6:8-17;  7:7-11). 

What  is  commonly  called  "The  Lord's  Prayer," 
but  what  is,  in  reality,  the  prayer  that  the  Lord 
taught  His  disciples  when  contemplating  the  king- 
dom, is  not  intended  to  be  a  ritual  prayer.  He  said : 
"After  this  manner  therefore  pray  ye."  The  prayer 
is  directly  concerned  with  the  issues  of  the  coming 
kingdom.  "Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done 
in  earth,  as  it  is  in  heaven."  Of  the  great  themes 
mentioned  in  this  model  kingdom  prayer,  but  one  is 
taken  up  for  special  comment  and  emphasis.  It  is 
as  though  the  Spirit  of  God  was  seeking  to  save  the 
reader  from  any  confusion  at  this  point.  This  spec- 
ial comment  amplifies  the  one  petition:  "And  for- 
give us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our  debtors."  The 
divine  comment  on  this  reads:  "For  if  ye  forgive 
men  their  trespasses,  your  heavenly  Father  will  also 
forgive  you:  but  if  ye  forgive  not  men  their  tres- 
passes, neither  will  your  Father  forgive  your  tres- 
passes." This,  again,  is  purely  legal.  Forgiveness 
on  the  part  of  the  Christian  is  enjoined;  but  it  is 
enjoined  in  agreement  with  the  exalted  principle  of 
grace :  ' '  Tenderhearted,  forgiving  one  another,  even 
as  God  for  Christ's  sake  hath  forgiven  you"; 
"Even  as  Christ  forgave  you,  so  also  do  ye"  (Eph. 
4:32;  Col.  3:13.  Cf  1  John  1:9).  The  legal 
character  of  this  great  kingdom  prayer  should  not 
be  overlooked  because  of  sentimental  reasons  grow- 
ing out  of  early  training. 


fb 


The  Life  under  Grace  175 

Attempts  have  been  made  to  relate  this  divine  for- 
giveness, which  is  conditioned  on  a  forgiving  atti- 
tude of  the  sinner,  with  the  Father's  present  for- 
giveness toward  the  believer  who  is  under  grace. 
Such  an  interpretation  is  as  foreign  to  the  precise  re- 
lationships which  belong  to  grace  as  it  would  be  if 
the  passage  were  said  to  teach  the  present  divine  for- 
giveness of  the  unsaved.  Present  forgiveness  for 
both  the  unsaved  and  the  saved  is  a  matter  of  pure 
grace,  and  the  divine  conditions  which  are  imposed 
are  in  perfect  harmony  with  this  fact.  In  this  age, 
the  unsaved  are  forgiven  as  a  part  of  the  entire  ac- 
complishment in  salvation  on  the  one  condition  that 
they  believe  (Eph.  4:  32),  and  the  saved  are  forgiven 
on  the  one  condition  that  they  confess  (1  John  1:9). 
These  two  words  do  not  represent  meritorious  works ; 
they  represent  the  simple  adjustment  of  the  heart 
to  that  which  is  already  provided  in  the  grace  of 
God.  The  cross  has  changed  things  for  all.  A  cov- 
enant purely  of  law-works  is  stated  in  the  passage 
in  question.  Such  a  covenant  is  the  very  foundation 
of  all  kingdom  teaching;  but  it  is  wholly  foreign  to 
the  teachings  of  grace.  Christ,  as  some  claim,  must 
not  be  presented  as  a  stern,  austere  Ruler.  The 
marvel  is  that  He  is  ever  anything  else.  God's  holi- 
ness is  not  subject  to  gracious  leniency  toward  sin. 
Apart  from  the  cross  where  redemption's  price  has 
been  fully  paid,  there  could  be  nothing  but  the  con- 
suming fire  of  judgment;  but,  since  God  in  infinite 
love  has  provided  a  Substitute,  there  is  boundless 
grace.  In  this  age,  God  is  dealing  with  men  on  the 
ground  of  His  grace  as  it  is  in  Christ.  His  deal- 
ings with  men  in  the  coming  age  are  based  on  a  very 


1 76  Grace 

different  relationship.  At  that  time,  the  King  will 
rule  with  a  rod  of  iron.  There  is  no  word  of  the 
cross,  or  of  grace,  in  the  kingdom  teachings.  This 
prayer  is,  by  its~6wn  expression,  a  kingdom  prayer. 
The  whole  basis  of  appeal  in  this  prayer,  as  in 
7 : 7-11,  is  the  faithfulness  of  the  Father  to  His  chil- 
dren in  the  kingdom.  The  basis  of  appeal  in  prayer 
during  the  days  before  Christ,  orjmder  Moses,  was 

'.  the  faithfulness  of  Jehovah  to  His  covenants.  The 
basis  of  appeal  in  prayer  under  grace  is  that  of  the 
believer's  present  union  and  identification  with 

r'  Christ.  Access  is  provided  only  through  Christ 
(Heb.  10:19,  20),  and  the  new  argument  of  appeal 
in  prayer  is,  in  the  name,  and  for  the  glory,  of 
Christ.  Long  after  He  had  taught  His  disciples  the 
kingdom  form  of  prayer,  and  after  He  had  turned 
to  the  teachings  of  pure  grace  He  said:  "Hitherto 
have  ye  asked  nothing  in  my  name :  ask,  and  ye  shall 
receive,  that  your  joy  may  be  full"  (John  16:24). 
The  kingdom  form  of  prayer  omits  every  feature  of 
the  essential  note  of  prevailing  prayer  under  grace. 

6.  The    law    governing    riches    in    the    kingdom 
(Mt.  6:19-24). 

The  right  use  of  riches,  as  under  grace,  will  be  ic- 
warded  in  heaven,  and  there  is  no  compromise:  "Ye 
cannot  serve  God  and  mammon." 

7.  The  Father's  care  over  the  children  of  the 
kingdom  (Mt.  6:25-34). 

This  portion  of  the  Scriptures  is  one  of  surpassing 
sweetness.  As  God  clothes  the  lillies  of  the  field,  so 
will  He  clothe  those  who  rest  in  Him  by  faith;  but 


The  Life  under  Grace  177 

here  His  care  is  only  for  such  as  seek  first  the  king- 
dom of  God  and  His  righteousness :  while,  under 
grace,  His  care  is  unconditioned  by  any  human  work 
or  merit :  ' '  Casting  all  your  care  upon  him ;  for  he 
careth  for  you";  "Be  careful  for  nothing"  (1  Pet. 
5:7;  Phil.  4:6).  The  same  principle  of  divine  care 
was  presented  under  the  law  of  Moses;  but  in  the 
form  of  pure  law:  "Cast  thy  burden  upon  the 
LORD,  and  he  shall  sustain  thee:  he  shall  never 
suffer  the  righteous  to  be  moved"  (Ps.  55:22). 


8.  Warning  against  judgment  of  others  (Mt.  7: 
1-6.). 

This  kingdom  law  is  unyielding:  "Judge  not, 
that  ye  be  not  judged.  For  with  what  judgment  ye 
judge,  ye  shall  be  judged:  and  with  what  measure 
ye  mete,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again."  One 
under  grace  has  passed  beyond  all  judgment,  by  vir- 
tue of  his  acceptance  in  Christ  who  died  for  him 
(John  5:24).  He  may  be  chastened  by  his  Father, 
which  is  a  form  of  judgment  (1  Cor.  11:  27-32) ;  but 
such  judgment  is  never  said  to  be  the  return  of  his 
own  sin  back  upon  his  own  head,  as  is  prescribed 
in  this  portion  of  the  kingdom  teaching. 

9.  Warnings  against  false  prophets   (Mt.  7 : 15- 
20.). 

"Beware  of  false  prophets,  which  come  to  you  in 
sheep's  clothing,  but  inwardly  they  are  ravening 
wolves.  Ye  shall  know  them  by  their  fruits."  The 
warning  here  is  against  false  prophets  who  are  to  be 
discerned  by  the  quality  of  their  lives.  The  warn- 
ing to  the  children  of  God  under  grace  is  against 


178  Grace 

false  teachers  who  are  to  be  discerned  by  their  doc- 
trine  concerning  Christ  (2  Pet.  2:1;  2  John  7-11) : 

never  by  their  lives;  for  outwardly,  false  teachers 
are  said  to  appear  as  the  "ministers  of  Christ,"  and 
to  be  dirctly  under  the  power  of  Satan  who  himself 
appears  as  an  angel  of  light  (2  Cor.  11:13-15). 
The  attractive  personality  of  the  false  teacher  affords 
great  advantage  as  a  background  for  the  appeal 
he  makes  for  his  doctrine. 

10.  Three  determining  statements  concerning  the 
kingdom. 

a. ' '  For  I  say  unto  you,  That  except  your  righteous- 
ness  shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven"  (Mt.  5:20).  Exposition  is  unnecessary 
concerning  this  passage.  It  is  the  foundation  of  all 
the  demands  for  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
It  should  in  no  wise  be  confused  with  the  believer's 
entrance  into  heaven  through  the  finished  work  of 
Christ:  "Not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we 
have  done,  but  according  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us" 
(Tit.  3:5). 

b.  "Therefore  all  things  whatsoever  ye  would  that 
men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them:  for 
this   is   the   law    and   the    prophets"    (Mt.    7:12). 
This  passage  stands  as  a  conclusion  of  the  whole  ap- 
peal of  this  kingdom  teaching.     It  is  as  a  key  to  all 
that  has  gone  before.     The  legal  principle,  restated 
in  this  passage,  is  not  said  to  be  any  part  of  the 
teachings  of  grace:  it  is  rather  "the  law  and  the 
prophets." 

c.  "Enter  ye  in  at  the  strait  gate:  for  wide  is 


The  Life  under  Grace  179 

the  gate,  and  broad  is  the  way,  that  leadeth  to 
destruction,  and  many  there  be  which  go  in  thereat: 
because  strait  is  the  gate,  and  narrow  is  the  way, 
which  leadeth  unto  life,  and  few  there  be  that  find 
it"  (Mt.  7: 13,  14).  Under  the  conditions  laid  down 
in  the  kingdom  teachings,  life  is  entered  by  a  per- 
sonalJaithfulness  (Mt.  5:29,  30;  18:8,  9;  Lk.  10: 
25-28).  When  this  same  exhortation  is  stated  in  the 
Gospel  by  Luke  (13:24),  it  opens  with  the  words, 
"Strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate."  The  word 
strive  is  a  translation  of  agonizomai,  which  means 
to  agonize.  It  suggests  the  uttermost  expenditure 
of  the  athlete's  strength  in  the  contest.  Such  is  the 
human  condition  that  characterizes  all  the  kingdom 
passages  which  offer  entrance  into  life.  An  abrupt 
change  is  met  when  turning  to  the  Gospel  by  John, 
which  Gospel  was  written  to  announce  the  new  mes- 
sage of  grace,  which  is,  that  eternal  life  may  be  had 
through  believing.  No  two  words  of  Scripture 
more  vividly  express  the  great  characterizing  re- 
lationships in  law  and  grace  than  agonize,  and  be- 
lieve. Grace  is  the  unfolding  of  The  fact  that  One  xx 
has  agonized  in  our  stead,  and  life  is  "through  his  • 
name,,"  and  not  by  any  degree  of  human  faithful- 
ness, or  merit. 

There  is  a  dangerous  and  entirely  baseless  senti- 
ment abroad  which  assumes  that  every  teaching  of 
Christ  must  be  binding  during  this  age  simply  be- 
cause Christ  said  it.  The  fact  is  forgotten  that 
Christ,  while  living  under,  keeping,  and  applying 
the  law  of  Moses,  also  taught  the  principles  of  His 
yet  future  kingdom,  and,  at  the  end  of  His  ministry 
and  in  relation  to  His  cross,  He  also  anticipated  the 


C7 


180  Grace 

teachings  of  grace.  If  this  three-fold  division  of 
the  teachings  of  Christ  is  not  recognized,  there  can 
be  nothing  but  confusion  of  mind  and  consequent 
contradiction  of  truth. 

Again,  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  recognize  that 
these  kingdom  teachings  should  directly  apply  to  a 
yet  future  age.  The  Bible  is  the  one  revelation  from 
God  to  all  peoples  of  all  the  ages.  It  is  not  difficult 
to  understand  that  much  of  the  Scripture  applies  to 
conditions  which  are  now  wholly  in  the  past;  nor 
should  it  be  difficult  to  understand  that  some  of  the 
Scripture  applies  to  conditions  which  are  wholly 
of  the  future.  How  else  shall  we  know  of  the  fu- 
ture? Certain  revelations  are  of  the  coming  trib- 
ulation period  and  are  in  no  sense  applicable  to  the 
present  time.  Who  has  ever  prayed  that  his  flight 
should  not  be  on  a  sabbath  day?  Yet  Christ  com- 
manded that  prayer  to  be  prayed  (Mt.  24:  20). 

In  like  manner,  the  use  of  the  word  "whosoever" 
in  Mt.  7 : 24  does  not  imply  that  all  the  people  of  all 
the  ages  are  addressed.  It  is  more  reasonable  to 
believe  that  it  applies  to  the  people  living  under  the 
conditions  of  the  period  which  the  passage  describes. 
The  all-inclusive  word  lie  is  used  by  Christ  when 
He  said,  ' '  But  he  that  shall  endure  unto  the  end,  the 
same  shall  be  saved"  (Mt.  24: 13)  ;  but  nothing  could 
be  more  contradictory  to  the  teachings  of  grace  than 
the  principle  set  forth  in  this  passage.  There  will 
be  a  salvation  in  the  tribulation  for  those  who  endure 
its  trials  to  the  end.  Under  grace,  the  believer 
endures  because  he  is  saved.  If  the  word  "whoso- 
ever" in  Mt.  7:24  includes  those  who  are  saved  by 


The  Life  under  Grace  181 

grace,  then  they  have  been  thrust  into  the  blasting 
covenant  of  works  which  that  passage  proposes,  and 
grace  is  wholly  sacrificed. 

Thus  it  may  be  concluded  that  the  teachings  of 
the  law,  the  teachings  of  grace,  and  the  teachings  of 
the  kingdom,  are  separate  and  complete  systems  of 
divine  rule  which  are  perfectly  adapted  to  the  varied 
conditions  in  three  great  dispensations.  The  teach- 
ings of  Moses  and  the  teachings  of  the  kingdom  are 
purely  legal,  while  the  instructions  to  the  believer  of 
this  dispensation  are  in  conformity  with  pure  grace. 
There  is  much  that  is  held  in  common  within  all  these 
rules  for  conduct ;  but  this  is  no  justification  for  their 
admixture.  All  that  in  the  law  appertains  to  life  un- 
der grace  is  preserved  and  restated  from  the  law  in 
the  great  injunctions  and  beseechings  of  grace.  To 
transgress  these  bounds,  is  to  frustrate  grace,  and  to 
complicate  the  individual  with  the  system  of  law  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  make  him  a  debtor  to  do  the  whole 
law.  The  law  cannot  be  broken  or  divided.  It  stands 
as  a  unit.  To  undertake  any  part  of  it,  is  to  be 
committed  to  it  all.  Nothing  could  be  more  unreas- 
onable, or  more  unscriptural,  than  to  borrow  some 
portions  from  the  law  system,  either  that  of  Moses, 
or  of  the  kingdom,  and,  at  the  same  time,  reject 
other  portions.  He  who  will  choose  the  law  must, 
to  be  consistent,  do  the  whole  law  (Rom.  10:  5),  and 
if  he  shall  break  it  at  one  point,  he  is  guilty  of  all 
(Jas.  2:10).  How  precious  are  the  riches  of  grace 
in  Christ  Jesus!  How  sweet  and  fitting  to  the  child 
of  God  in  grace  are  the  heavenly  beseechings  of 
grace ! 


1 82  Grace 


H.      THE  ORDER  VARIES  AS  TO  THE  SEQUENCE  OF  THE 
DIVINE  BLESSING  AND  THE  HUMAN  OBLIGATION. 

The  second  major  distinction  between  the  teach- 
ings of  law  and  the  teachings  of  grace  is  seen  in  the 
varying  order  between  the  divine  blessing  and  the 
human  obligation.  This  variation  is  found  to  exist 
when  the  principle  of  grace  is  compared  with  the 
principle  of  law  in  any  form  of  the  law  whatsoever. 
It  is  equally  true  of  the  law  of  Moses,  the  law  of  the 
kingdom,  or,  when  legally  stated,  of  the  larger  con- 
ception of  the  law  as  being  the  whole  revealed  will^ 
of  God.  When  the  human  obligation  is  presented 
first,  and  the  divine  blessing  is  made  to  depend  on 
the  faithful  discharge  of  that  obligation,  it  is  of  and 
in  conformity  with  pure  law.  When  the  divine 
blessing  is  presented  first,  and  the  human  obligation 
follows,  it  is  of  and  in  conformity  with  pure  grace. 
The  varying  orders  under  law  and  grace  may  be 
stated  in  the  words  "do  and  live":  or  "live  and  do." 
In  the  case  of  the  law,  it  is  do  something  with  a  view 
to  being  something;  in  the  case  of  grace,  it  is  be 
made  something  with  a  view  to  doing  something. 
Is  the  Christian  who  is  under  grace  saved  and  kept 
by  good  works,  or  is  he  saved  and  kept  unto  good 
works?  The  law  said  "If  you  will  do  good,  I  will 

K  bless  you";  grace  says,  "I  have  blessed  you,  now 
do  good."  Under  the  law,  man  lives  well  to  become 
accepted  of  God ;  under  grace  man  lives  well  since  it 
becomes  one  to  live  well  who  is  already  accepted. 
The  law  presents  first  a  human  work  to  be  done: 
grace  always  presents  first  a  divine  work  to  be  be- 


The  Life  under  Grace  183 

lieved.  Law  begins  with  the  question  as  to  what 
man  ought  to  do;  grace  begins  with  the  question  as  to 
what  God  has  already  done.  Every  word  of  the  law 
revelation  is  thus  made  to  be  a  conditional  covenant 
of  human  works :  while  every  word  of  the  grace  rev- 
elation is  made  to  be  an  unconditional  covenant  of 
divine  works. 

The  instructions  given  to  Israel  under  Moses,  and 
the  instructions  proposed  for  the  government  of  the 
yet  future  kingdom  in  the  earth,  are  purely  legal  in 
their  character.  The  farewell  word  of  Moses  to 
Israel  as  recorded  in  the  closing  chapters  of  Deuter- 
onomy is  the  crystallization  of  the  whole  law  of 
Moses.  One  passage  is  the  heart  of  this  message: 
"And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  thou  shalt  hearken  dil- 
igently unto  the  voice  of  the  LORD  thy  God,  to  ob- 
serve and  to  do  all  his  commandments  which  I  com- 
mand thee  this  day,  that  the  LORD  thy  God  will  set 
thee  on  high  above  all  nations  of  the  earth:  and  all 
these  blessings  shall  come  on  thee,  and  overtake  thee, 
if  thou  shalt  hearken  unto  the  voice  of  the  LORD  thy 
God.  Blessed  shalt  thou  be  ...  But  it  shall  come  to 
pass,  if  thou  wilt  not  hearken  unto  the  voice  of  the 
LORD  thy  God,  to  observe  to  do  all  his  command- 
ments and  his  statutes  which  I  command  thee  this 
day;  that  all  these  curses  shall  come  upon  thee,  and 
overtake  thee:  Cursed  shalt  thou  be".  .  .  (Deut. 
28:1-68). 

Every  teaching  of  the  kingdom  which  contemplates 
the  responsibility  of  the  individual  is,  in  like  man- 
ner, based  on  a  covenant  of  human  works,  and  is, 
therefore,  purely  legal  in  character.  This  may  be 
observed  in  all  the  kingdom  teachings  of  the  Old 


1 84  Grace 

Testament,  and  the  kingdom  teachings  of  the  New 
Testament.  Grace  is  extended  to  the  nation  when, 
apart  from  all  merit,  she  is  placed  in  her  land,  and 
restored  to  divine  blessing;  but  the  rule  of  the  King 
will  be  on  the  basis  of  pure  law,  and  the  responsi- 
bility of  the  individual  to  that  rule  necessarily  will 
be  in  conformity  to  the  same.  Beyond  what  has 
gone  before  in  the  discussion,  this  fact  will  need  but 
a  passing  illustration  from  the  kingdom  teachings 
of  the  New  Testament: 

"Blessed  are  the  meek:  for  they  shall  inherit  the 
earth";  "Blessed  are  the  merciful:  for  they  shall 
obtain  mercy";  "Except  your  righteousness  shall 
exceed  the  righteousness  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven"; 
"For  if  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses,  your  heav- 
enly Father  will  also  forgive  you:  but  if  ye  forgive 
not  men  their  trespasses,  neither  will  your  Father 
forgive  your  trespasses";  "Judge  not,  that  ye  be  not 
judged.  For  with  what  judgment  ye  judge,  ye  shall 
be  judged:  and  with  what  measure  ye  mete,  it  shall 
be  measured  to  you  again";  "Not  every  one  that 
saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven;  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven  .  .  .  Therefore  whosoever 
heareth  these  sayings  of  mine,  and  doeth  them,  I 
will  liken  him  unto  a  wise  man"  (Mt.  5:5,  7,  20; 
6:14,  15;  7:1,  2,  21-24).  To  this  may  be  added 
all  other  kingdom  teachings  of  the  New  Testament. 

The  kingdom  teachings,  likewise,  are  to  be  disting- 
uished from  the  teachings  of  grace  by  the  order 
which  each  presents  between  the  divine  blessing  and 
the  human  obligation.  The  word  of  the  kingdom 


The  Life  under  Grace  185 

is,  he  that  heareth  my  words  and  doeth  them  shall 
be  blessed  (Mt.  7:24).  The  word  of  grace  is,  he 
that  heareth  my  words  and  believeth  them  shall  be 
blessed  (John  5:24). 

In  the  teachings  of  grace,  the  gracious,  divine 
blessing  always  precedes,  and  is  followed  by  the 
human  obligation.  This  is  the  order  maintained 
throughout  the  great  doctrinal  Epistles  of  the  New 
Testament.  These  Epistles  are  therefore  subject  to 
a  two-fold  division.  In  the  first  division,  the  mighty 
undertakings  of  God  for  man  are  disclosed:  while  in 
the  second  division  the  saved  one  is  besought  anc 
exhorted  to  live  on  the  plane  to  which  he  has  been 
brought  in  the  exceeding  grace  of  God.  The  first 
division  of  the  Book  of  Romans  is  the  unfolding  of 
the  saving  grace  of  God  toward  sinners,  which  is  ex- 
tended to  them  on  the  sole  condition  that  they  be- 
lieve (1 : 16 ;  3  :  22,  26 ;  4:5;  10 :  4)  ;  the  second  di- 
vision is  an  appeal  for  a  corresponding  manner  of 
daily  life,  which  life  is  "reasonable"  in  view  of  the 
results  which  God  has  already  achieved  in  sovereign 
grace.  This  appeal  is  stated  in  the  first  verse  of  the 
second  section:  "I  beseech  you  therefore,  brethren, 
by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies 
a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God,  which  is 
your  reasonable  service"  (Rom.  12:1).  The  Book 
of  Ephesians  opens  with  three  chapters  in  which 
there  is  not  one  requirement  for  human  conduct ;  it 
is  the  unfolding  of  the  marvelous  grace  of  God  in 
bringing  the  believer  to  the  exalted  heavenly  posi- 
tions which  are  his  in  Christ.  The  opening  verse  of 
the  second  section  is  a  condensation  of  all  that  fol- 
lows: "I  therefore,  the  prisoner  of  the  Lord,  be- 


1 86  Grace 

seech  you  that  ye  walk  worthy  of  the  vocation  [call- 
ing] wherewith  ye  are  called"  (Eph.  4:1).  So,  in 
like  manner,  the  Book  of  Colossians  opens  with  a 
portion  which  is  devoid  of  even  a  semblance  of  an 
appeal  in  matters  of  conduct,  since  it  is  occupied 
with  the  unfolding  of  the  glory  of  Christ  and  the 
fact  of  the  perfect  standing  of  the  believer  in  Him. 
The  second  portion  is  an  appeal :  not  for  the  human 
works  which  might  induce  God  so  to  bless  the  sinner ; 
but  for  works  which  are  consistent  with  the  present, 
God-wrought,  glorious  union  with  Christ:  "If  ye 
then  be  risen  with  Christ,  seek  those  things  which 
are  above,  where  Christ  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of 
God"  (Col.  3:1). 

The  grace  order  between  the  divine  blessing  and 
the  human  obligation  is  preserved  in  every  offer 
of .  salvation  to  the  sinner  and  in  every  purpose 
looking  toward  the  preservation  of  the  saint.  Since 
this  is  the  basis  of  the  divine  purpose  in  the  ages  and 
the  only  hope  of  the  sinner,  or  the  saint,  it  should  not 
be  questioned  upon  a  superficial  consideration  of  the 
Scriptures.  There  is  the  widest  possible  difference 
between  the  two  replies  of  Christ  to  practically  the 
same  question:  "What  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal 
life?"  Answer: —  "This  do,  and  thou  shalt  live." 
Again :  ' '  What  shall  we  do,  that  we  might  work  the 
works  of  God?"  Answer: — "This  is  the  work  of 
God,  that  ye  believe  on  Him  whom  he  hath  sent." 
One  answer  is  related  to  the  law  of  the  kingdom: 
the  other  is  related  to  grace,  wherein  Christ  is  seen 
as  the  "living  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven: 
if  any  man  eat  of  this  bread,  he  shall  live  for  ever." 

It  is  to  be  concluded,  therefore,  that  the  sinner 


The  Life  under  Grace  187 

is  saved  by  grace  apart  from  every  human  demand 
other  than  that  he  receive  that  grace  as  it  is  for  him 
in  Christ,  and  that  the  saint  is  kept  by  grace  unto 
good  works;  but  not  by  good  works.  The  righteous 
Father  must  insist  on  the  good  works  in  the  life  of 
His  child ;  but  He  does  not  make  these  works  the  con- 
dition of  His  faithfulness.  This  is  the  vital  distinc- 
tion, then,  between  the  order  relating  divine  blessing 
with  human  obligation  in  the  two  systems — law  and 
grace.  One  is  a  covenant  of  pure  works ;  the  other  is 
a  covenant  of  pure  grace.1 

Since  the  covenant  of  grace  which  is  based  on 
human  faith  was  established  in  the  promises  made 
to  Abraham,  the  covenant  of  the  law,  made  four 
hundred  years  later,  and  added  only  for  a  temporary 
purpose,  cannot  disannul  it.  The  reign  of  law,  with 
its  covenant  of  works,  ceased  with  the  death  of  Christ. 
Its  purpose  had  been  accomplished,  and  its  appointed 
time  had  expired.  Thus  the  by-faith  principle  which 
was  announced  in  the  Abrahamic  covenant  is 
brought  again  into  force  through  the  death  of  Christ. 
The  divine  blessing  is  now  unto  him  that  "worketh 
not,  but  believeth  on  him  that  justifieth  the  un- 
godly." "Abraham  believed  God,  and  it  was 
counted  unto  him  for  righteousness."  "Now  it  was 
not  written  for  his  sake  alone,  that  it  was  imputed  to 

i  Consideration  should  be  given  to  the  fact  that  rewards, 
which  are  bestowed  in  addition  to  the  blessing  of  the  sav- 
ing grace  of  God,  are  offered  to  the  saved  one  on  the  principle 
of  merit;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  grace  was  offered  to  the 
p. ••>;•!>'  n:;d.  r  i!:c  l;i\v.  in  addition  to  the  demands  of  tho 
law,  in  the  provisions  of  the  sacrifices.  In  no  case  do 
these  added  blessings  condition  the  exact  character  of  the 
covenant  of  grace,  on  the  one  hand,  or  the  covenant  of 
works,  on  the  other  hand. 


1 88  Grace 

him ;  but  for  us  also,  to  whom  it  shall  be  imputed,  if 
we  believe  on  him  that  raised  up  Jesus  our  Lord 
from  the  dead;  who  was  delivered  for  our  offences, 
and  was  raised  again  for  our  justification"  (Rom. 
4:3,  5,  24,  25).  By  this  Scripture  it  is  announced 
that  the  by-faith  principle  of  the  Abrahamic  cov- 
enant is  continued  and  now  offered  through  the 
sacrificial  death  of  Christ.  This  fact  is  restated 
thus:  "So  then  they  which  be  of  faith  are  blessed 
with  faithful  Abraham.  For  as  many  as  are  of  the 
works  of  the  law  are  under  the  curse:  for  it  is  writ- 
ten, Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all 
things  which  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do 
them.  .  .  .  The  law  is  not  of  faith"  (Gal.  3:9-12). 
The  law  was  a  covenant  of  works;  but  the  works 
always  failed  through  the  weakness  of  the  flesh,  and 
the  law  then  became,  of  necessity,  a  condemnation 
and  curse.  According  to  this  same  Scripture,  the 
holy  will  of  God  is  not  ignored  in  grace:  "Christ 
hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being 
made  a  curse  for  us"  (3: 13).  This,  it  must  be  ob- 
served, was  wrought  under  the  one  great  purpose: 
"That  the  blessing  of  Abraham  [acceptance  in  the 
imputed  righteousness  of  God]  might  come  on  the 
Gentiles  through  Jesus  Christ"  (3:14). 

After  declaring  that  the  law  has  passed,  either  as 
the  grounds  of  the  justification  of  the  sinner  (Gal. 
3:24),  or  as  the  rule  of  life  for  the  believer  (Gal. 
3:25),  the  Apostle  challenges  the  law-ridden  Chris- 
tians at  Galatia  to  consider  the  fact  and  force  of  two 
great  covenants  which  can  in  no  .wise  co-exist.  He 
therefore  points  out  that  one  gave  way  to  the  other: 


The  Life  under  Grace  189 

"Tell  me,  ye  that  desire  to  be  under  the  law  [and  he 
is  writing  to  Christians  only,  concerning  the  law 
as  a  rule  of  their  lives],  do  ye  not  hear  the  law? 
For  it  is  written,  that  Abraham  had  two  sons,  the  one 
by  a  bondmaid,  the  other  by  a  freewoman.  But  he 
who  was  of  the  bondwoman  was  born  after  the  flesh ; 
but  he  of  the  freewoman  was  by  promise.  Which 
things  are  an  allegory :  for  these  are  the  two  covenants 
[the  by-works  covenant  which  would  depend  on  the 
flesh  and  the  by-faith  covenant  which  would  depend 
only  on  God]  ;  the  one  from  the  mount  Sinai,  which 
gendereth  to  bondage,  which  is  Agar  [the  bondmaid] . 
For  this  Agar  is  mount  Sinai  in  Arabia  [where  the 
Mosaic  law  was  given],  and  answereth  to  Jerusalem 
which  now  is,  and  is  in  bondage  with  her  children 
[Israel].  But  Jerusalem  which  is  above  is  free, 
which  is  the  mother  of  us  all  [typified  by  Sarah,  who 
illustrates  the  by-faith  principle  which  depends  on 
God  alone].  For  it  is  written,  Kejoice,  thou  barren 
that  bearest  not  [suggesting  the  utter  helplessness 
of  the  flesh  before  God]  ;  break  forth  and  cry,  thou 
that  travailest  not:  for  the  desolate  hath  many 
more  children  than  she  which  hath  an  husband 
[or  the  arm  of  flesh  on  which  one  might  depend]. 
Now  we,  brethren  [Christians],  as  Isaac  was,  are 
the  children  of  promise  [we  have  been  saved  by 
faith].  But  as  then  he  that  was  born  after  the  flesh 
persecuted  him  that  was  born  after  the  Spirit,  even 
so  it  is  now.  Nevertheless  what  saith  the  scripture? 
Cast  out  the  bondwoman  [not  merely  her  offspring, 
but  the  whole  by-works  principle  which  she  repre- 
sents] and  her  son:  for  the  son  of  the  bondwoman 


190  Grace 

shall  not  be  heir  with  the  son  of  the  f  reewoman.  So 
then,  brethren,  we  are  not  children  of  the  bond- 
woman, but  of  the  free"  (Gal.  4:21-31). 

It  was  concerning  the  promise  of  the  supernatural 
birth  of  Isaac  that  Abraham  believed  God,  and  that 
belief  was  counted  unto  him  for  righteousness. 
Afterwards,  Abraham  turned  to  the  flesh  in  the 
birth  of  Ishmael  (Gen.  16:1-4).  This  two-fold  fact 
illustrates,  with  all  the  perfection  of  the  Word  of 
God,  the  two  covenants — one  of  faith,  and  the  other 
of  works.  The  lapse  in  Abraham's  faith  typified 
the  intrusion  of  an  age  of  law.  So,  also,  the  relation- 
ship with  Agar  represents  what  man  can  do  in  his 
effort  to  be  accepted  of  God.  The  supernatural  re- 
lationship with  Sarah  represents  what  God  can  do  for 
one  who  will  believe.  The  marvels  of  grace  are  in- 
dicated by  the  multitudinous  offspring  of  Sarah: 
not  that  her  physical  seed,  Israel,  are  the  children  of 
faith ;  but  they,  being  more  exalted  than  the  children 
of  Agar,  typify  the  surpassing  victory  of  God  through 
grace.  There  can  be  no  co-mingling,  or  compromis- 
ing, of  these  two  great  covenants.  "What  saith 
the  Scripture?"  should  be  the  end  of  discussion. 
The  testimony  is,  "Cast  out  the  bondwoman  and  her 
son:  for  the  son  of  the  bondwoman  shall  not  be  heir 
with  the  son  of  the  f  reewoman."  The  by-works 
principle  of  the  law,  and  the  by-faith  principle  of 
grace,  cannot  co-operate,  or  co-exist,  either  in  the 
salvation  of  the  sinner,  or  in  the  rule  of  life  for  the 
believer. 

The  by-works  principle  of  the  law  is  not  limited  to 
the  fleshly  effort  to  do  the  particular  things  found 
in  the  law  of  Moses,  and  the  law  of  the  kingdom. 


The  Life  under  Grace  191 

It  is  the  fleshly  effort  to  do  anything  by  which  one 
seeks  to  become  acceptable  to  God.  Therefore,  when 
the  teachings  of  grace  are  attempted  with  a  view  to 
being  accepted  of  God,  they  become  purely  legal  in 
their  character.  In  like  manner,  when  the  elements 
which  arp-onritajjuerl  W  .fog,  law  and  restated  under 
grace  are  attempted  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  and 
on  the  basis  that  acceptance  with  God  is  already 
gained  through  Christ,  these  precepts  become  purely 
irnu'ious  in  their  character.  This  principle  may  be 
extended  to  the  larger  sphere  of  any  and  all  self- 
imposed  law,  regardless  of  Bible  injunctions.  In 
which  case  it  will  be  seen  that  the  doing  of  any  good 
works  with  a  view  to  being  accepted  of  God,  is  purely 
legal  in  character ;  contrawise,  the  doing  of  any  good 
works  because  one  believes  himself  to  be  accepted 
through  Christ,  is  purely  gracious  in  character.  The 
legalist  may  thus  enter  the  field  of  the  teachings  of 
grace  and  suppose  himself  to  be  subject  to  the  whole 
Bible,  when,  in  reality,  he  has  no  conception  of  the 
blessings  and  relationships  in  grace.  A  person  either 
chooses  to  accept  Christ  in  the  confidence  that  Christ 
is  all  he  will  ever  need  to  make  himself  acceptable  to 
God,  or  he  chooses  to  depend  on  the  best  that  he  can 
Hn  fqy  hfrnself  bv  good  works.  The  latter  is  the  nor- 
mal bent  of  the  nafufaT'mmd.  The  proposition  of 
becoming  acceptable  to  God  by  being  goodj  appeals  to 
the  fallen  heart  as  the  only  reasonable  thing  to 
do,  and,  apart  from  that  which  it  has  pleased  God  to 
reveal  concerning  grace,  it  is  the  only  reasonable 
thing  to  do.  It  therefore  becomes  a  question  of  be- 
lieving the  Record  God  has  given  concerning  His 
Son  (1  John  5:10). 


X 


192  Grace 

Since  there  is  so  much  delusion  in  a  counterfeit, 
the  person  most  difficult  to  reach  with  the  Gospel  of 
divine  grace  is  the  person  who  is  trying  to  do  all 
that  a  Christian  ought  to  do,  but  is  doing  it  as  a  means 
of  becoming  accepted  before  God.  His  willing  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  value  of  the  Christian  life,  his 
unquestioned  reception  into  the  fellowship  of  believ- 
ers, and  his  real  sincerity  in  all  Christian  activities, 
constitute  his  greatest  hindrance.  Such  an  one  is 
more  deluded  than  the  person  who  acknowledges  no 
relationship  to  God.  Both  fall  short  and  are  lost 
through  their  failure  to  believe  on  Christ  as  the  all- 
sufficient  Saviour ;  but,  naturally,  the  person  who  has 
no  false  hope  is  more  apt  to  become  conscious  of  the 
fact  that  he  is  lost  than  is  the  person  who  believes 
he  is  a  Christian.  The  law  cannot  save,  and  the  one 
who  transforms  the  teachings  of  grace  into  a  legal 
system  by  attempting  to  do  them  in  order  that  he 
may  be  right  with  God,  is  still  unsaved. 

Turning  to  meritorious  works  as  a  basis  of  salva- 
tion, be  those  works  a  precise  counterfeit  of  a  true 
Christian  life,  is  to  be  under  a  by-works  relation 
to  God,  and  therefore  to  be  under  condemnation ;  for 
by  the  works  of  the  law  shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in 
His  sight.  Turning  to  meritorious  works  as  the  basis 
of  keeping  after  one  is  saved,  or  as  a  rule  of  life  for 
the  saved,  is  to  return  to  a  by-works  relation  to  God, 
from  which  one  has  already  been  saved.  It  is  to  fall 
from  grace,  and  to  lose  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ 
has  made  us  free.  The  by-works  principle  can  no 
more  avail  for  our  keeping,  than  it  can  avail  for  our 
salvation.  As  God  could  provide  Abraham  with  a 


The  Life  under  Grace  193 

seed  under  an  unconditional  covenant,  so,  under  the 
same  unconditional  covenant,  He  could  guarantee 
the  future  of  that  seed  even  to  the  time  when  their 
number  shall  exceed  the  stars  of  the  heavens.  Like- 
wise, under  the  present  unconditional  covenant  of 
grace  made  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  God  can  guaran- 
tee the  future  security  of  every  child  of  His  under 
grace.  Therefore  it  is  of  faith,  that  it  might  be  by 
grace;  to  the  end  the  promise  might  be  sure  (Rom. 
4:16). 

Lastly,  the  covenant  of  works  is  "cast  out"  be- 
cause it  is  fulfilled  and  superseded  by  the  fuller  and 
more  perfect  covenant  of  faith.  All  that  the  cov- 
enant of  works  contemplated  as  a  result  of  a  life- 
time of  human  struggle,  is  instantly  accomplished  in 
the  power  of  God  through  the  covenant  of  faith.  By 
faith  in  Christ,  the  believer  is  made  the  righteousness 
of  God  in  Him,  and  made  accepted  in  the  Beloved. 
This  is  a  perfection  of  relationship  with  God  to  which 
no  human  works  could  ever  attain,  and  to  which 
human  works  can  add  nothing.  Being  related  to  God 
through  the  by-faith  principle,  the  whole  object  of 
law-works  is  more  than  fulfilled.  Thus  the  law  is 
ended  in  the  death  of  Christ.  The  bondwoman  is 
cast"  out.  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteous- 
ness to  every  one  that  believeth. 

Amazing  indeed,  is  the  blindness  of  heart  that  is 
not  instructed  by  the  tragic  experience  of  failure 
on  the  part  of  the  countless  millions  who  have  been 
lost  under  the  by-works  covenant !  Yet  men  are  still 
turning  to  their  own  works,  both  moral  and  religious, 
in  the  vain  hope  that  through  them  they  may  be  ac- 
cepted of  God.  To  such  He  must  ever  be  as  unap- 


194 


proachable  as  the  mountain  of  awful  fire,  thunder, 
lightning,  and  earthquake;  but  to  the  one  who  turns 
to  the  sufficiency  which  is  in  Christ,  God  becomes 
the  Father  of  all  mercies,  and  His  power  and  grace 
are  exercised  in  the  behalf  of  that  one  for  all  time 
and  eternity.  The  awful  throne  of  God's  holy  judg- 
ments becomes  a  throne  of  infinite  grace.  To  one 
thus  saved,  and  whose  security  is  guaranteed,  the 
by-works  covenant  of  the  law  is  in  no  wise  adapted 
as  a  rule  of  life;  for  that  covenant  looks  beyond  to 
a  time  of  acceptance  still  future,  when  the  flesh  shall 
have  completed  its  task.  Only  the  teachings  of 
grace  are  consistent  for  one  who  is  saved  by  grace. 
Those  teachings  alone  counsel  him  as  to  that  manner 
of  life  which  is  in  accord  with  his  present  position 
in  grace. 

The  second  major  distinction  between  the  rule  of 
law  and  the  rule  of  grace  is,  then,  that  these  two 
systems  are  opposites  in  reference  to  the  order  be- 
tween the  divine  blessing  and  the  human  obligation, 

d  this  holds  true  for  any  life  or  service  whatsoever 
which  may  be  undertaken. 

HI.  BECAUSE  OF  DIFFERENT  DEGREES  OF  DIFFICULTY 
AND  DIFFERENT  DEGREES  OF  DIVINE  ENABLEMENT. 

The  three  rules  of  life — the  law  of  Moses,  the  law 
of  the  kingdom,  and  the  teachings  of  grace — are 
widely  different  because  of  two  facts:  (1)  The  re- 
quirements of  the  manner  of  life  under  them  are  far 
from  uniform,  and  (2)  these  systems  differ  in  the 
degree  of  divine  enablement  which  is  provided  in 


The  Life  under  Grace  195 

each.  These  two  facts  are  so  closely  related  with  these 
governing  systems  that  it  is  necessary  to  consider 
these  two  facts  in  their  relation  to  each  rule  of  life: 

First,  The  Law  of  Moses. 

In  discussing  the  law  as  a  regulation  for  human 
conduct,  attention  should  be  given, 

1.  As  to  the  measure  of  requirement  which  is  im- 
posed. 

The  standard  of  conduct  presented  by  the  law  of 
Moses  was  limited  in  its  requirements  to  the  extent 
that  its  demands  were  imposed  on  even  unregenerate 
men.  The  Mosaic  law  was  addressed  to  the  natural 
man,  and,  it  is  evident,  its  requirements  did  not 
exceed  his  limitations;  yet  because  of  the  weakness 
of  the  flesh,  these  demands  were  never  actually  ful- 
filled by  any  person  other  than  Christ. 

2.  As  to  the  degree  of  divine  enablement. 

There  is  no  hint  in  connection  with  the  proclama- 
tion of  the  law  of  Moses  of  any  divine  enablement 
being  provided  for  the  keeping  of  that  law.  God 
addressed  those  commandments  to  men,  and  the  re- 
sult was  no  more  than  the  unaided  flesh  would  pro- 
duce. The  law  dispensation,  extending  over  a  period 
of  fifteen  hundred  years,  thus  became  a  demonstra- 
tion of  the  universal  failure  of  man  under  the  reign 
of  pure  law.  Christ,  through  His  death,  became  the 
end  of  the  reign  of  law;  as  He,  through  His  death, 
is  the  end  of  confidence  in  self-works  for  all  who 
put  their  trust  in  Him. 


196  Grace 

Second.  The  Law  of  the  Kingdom. 
Again,  attention  should  be  given, 

1.  As  to  the  measure  of  requirement  which  is  im- 
posed. 

The  standard  of  conduct  which  will  be  required  un- 
der the  law  of  the  kingdom  is,  as  has  been  seen,  ad- 
vanced and  intensified  in  its  demands  beyond  that 
which  is  presented  under  the  law  of  Moses.  In  the 
kingdom  rule,  portions  of  the  Mosaic  law  are  exten- 
ded  beyond  tfie  overt  act  to  inelTtdtj  Ihe  Very  thwufnt 
and  intent  of  the  heart.  Added  to  this,  there  are 
entirely  new  requirements  concerning  matters  of  per- 
sonal yieldedness  and  devotion  to  God  which  are 
foreign  to  the  Mosaic  system. 

2.  As  to  the  degree  of  divine  enallement. 

The  degree  of  divine  enablement  which  will  ob- 
tain under  the  rule  of  the  kingdom  is  seen  in  three 
provisions:  (a)  The  environment,  (b)  the  inclined 
heart,  and  (c)  the  outpoured  Spirit. 

(a)  The  environment  in  the  kingdom  will  be  that 
of  a  purified,  transformed  earth ;  creation  will  be  de- 
livered from   its  present  bondage  and  corruption; 
Satan  will  be  bound  and  confined  to  the  abyss;  and 
the  subjects  in  the  kingdom  will  realize  the  immedi- 
ate power  and  inspiration  of  the  personal  reign  of 
the  King,  which  will  be  extended  over  all  the  earth. 

(b)  Added  to  this  is  the  revealed  fact  that  the 
King  will  have  inclined  the  hearts  of  His  people  to 
do  His  holy  will.     This  great  promise  is  made  to 
Israel  as  a  vitaf  part  of  the  new  covenant  under 


The  Life  under  Grace  197 

which  Israel,  during  the  reign  of  her  Messiah  King, 
will  yet  live  in  her  own  land  (Cf  Jer.  31:33-37; 
Heb.  8:7-12).  These  kingdom  blessings  will  also 
be  extended  to  the  nations  of  the  earth  (Isa.  11: 
10). 

In  the  prophecy  by  Moses  concerning  the  attitude 
of  heart  which  Israel  will  experience  when  restored 
to  her  own  land,  we  read:  "And  the  LORD  thy 
God  will  bring;  thee  into  the  land  which  thy  fathers 
possessed,  and  thou  shalt  possess  it;  and  he  will  do 
thee  good,  and  multiply  thee  above  thy  fathers.  And 
the  LORD  thy  God  will  circumcise  thine  heart,  and 
the  heart  of  thy  seed,  to  love  the  LORD  thy  God  with 
all  thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  that  thou  may- 
est  live.  .  .  .  And  thou  shalt  return  and  obey  the 
voice  of  the  LORD,  and  do  all  his  commandments 
which  I  command  thee  this  day"  (Deut.  30:  5-8.  Cf 
Hos.  2:14-23;  Zeph.  3:14-20;  Rom.  11:26,  27). 

So,  again,  in  the  new  covenant  it  is  stated :  ' '  Be- 
hold, the  days  come,  saith  the  LORD,  that  I  will 
make  a  new  covenant  with  the  house  of  Israel,  and 
with  the  house  of  Judah:  not  according  to  the  cov- 
enant that  I  made  with  their  fathers  in  the  day  that  I 
took  them  by  the  hand  to  bring  them  out  of  the  land 
of  Egypt;  which  my  covenant  they  brake,  although 
I  was  an  husband  unto  them,  saith  the  LORD:  but 
this  shall  be  the  covenant  that  I  will  make  with  the 
house  of  Israel;  After  those  days,  saith  the  LORD 
I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts,  and  write 
it  in  their  hearts;  and  will  be  their  God,  and  they 
shall  be  my  people.  And  they  shall  teach  no  more 
every  man  his  neighbour,  and  every  man  his  brother, 
saying,  Know  the  LORD:  for  they  shall  all  know  me, 


198  Grace 

from  the  least  of  them  unto  the  greatest  of  them, 
saith  the  LORD:  for  I  will  forgive  their  iniquity, 
and  will  remember  their  sin  no  more"  (Jer.  31:  31- 
34.  Cf  Heb.  8:8-12). 

(e)  The  promise  concerning  "the  last  days"  for 
Israel,  according  to  Joel  2 : 28-32,  is  that  the  Spirit 
is  to  be  poured  out  upon  all  flesh.  He  records  fur- 
ther: "And  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall 
prophesy,  your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams,  your 
young  men  shall  see  visions:  and  also  upon  the  ser- 
vants and  upon  the  handmaids  in  those  days  will  I 
pour  out  my  Spirit.  And  I  will  shew  wonders  in  the 
heavens  and  in  the  earth,  blood,  and  fire,  and  pillars 
of  smoke.  The  sun  shall  be  turned  into  darkness, 
and  the  moon  into  blood,  before  the  great  and  the  ter- 
rible day  of  the  LORD  come.  And  it  shall  come  to 
pass,  that  whosoever  shall  call  on  the  name  of  the 
LORD  shall  be  delivered:  for  in  mount  Zion  and  in 
Jerusalem  shall  be  deliverance,  as  the  LORD  hath  said, 
and  in  the  remnant  whom  the  LORD  shall  call. ' ' 

That  this  great  promise  began  to  be  fulfilled  at 
Pentecost,  is  explicitly  stated  by  Peter  in  his  sermon 
on  that  day.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  however, 
that  Peter's  reference  to  Joel's  prophecy  concerning 
the  kingdom  was  made  in  connection  with  the  re- 
newed appeal  to  Israel,  extended  at  Pentecost,  that 
she  repent  and  receive  her  Messiah  whom  she  had 
Jilain.  As  the  Gospel  was  extended  to  Gentiles  in  the 
formation  of  the  Church,  the  abiding  ministries  of 
the  Spirit  became  evident,  and  the  final  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit  which,  according  to  Joel,  is  to  character- 
ize the  inception  of  the  kingdom  in  the  earth,  awaits 
the  return  and  enthronement  of  the  King. 


The  Life  under  Grace  199 

Little  is  revealed  as  to  the  enabling  power  of 
the  Spirit  for  the  individual's  life  and  conduct  in  the 
kingdom.  Doubtless,  to  some  extent,  such  power  will 
be  imparted.  The  particular  emphasis  falls  on  the 
national  glory  as  suggested  by  the  phrase  ' '  all  flesh, ' ' 
and  the  individual  is  said  to  be  moved  to  prophesy 
and  to  see  visions  and  to  dream  dreams. 

Thus  will  Israel  be  situated  in  the  kingdom.  She 
will  have  her  added  responsibilities  in  the  larger  de- 
mands of  the  kingdom  law,  and  she  will  have  the 
added  advantage  of  the  kingdom  environment,  the 
inclined  heart  to  do  the  will  of  the  King,  and  upon 
her  the  Spirit  will  be  poured  out. 

Third,  The  Teachings  of  Grace. 

The  standard  of  conduct  prescribed  under  the 
teachings  of  grace  is  immeasurably  more  difficult  to 
maintain  than  that  prescribed  either  by  the  law  of 
Moses,  or  the  law  of  the  kingdom.  It  is  as  much 
higher  than  these  as  heaven  is  higher  than  the  earth. 
Similarly,  the  divine  enablement  provided  under 
grace  is  nothing  less  than  the  infinite  power  of  the 
indwelling  Spirit. 

The  teachings  of  grace  are  addressed  only  to  the 
supernatural  man  who  is  both  born  of  the  Spirit  and 
indwelt  by  the  Spirit.  These  teachings  are  such  as 
naturally  belong  to  a  citizen  of  heaven.  Since  the 
saving  work  of  God  places  the  believer  in  the  heavenly 
positions  in  Christ,  and  transfers  his  citizenship  from 
earth  to  heaven,  it  is  only  consistent  that  he  should  be 
reguired  to  walk  as  it  becometh  a  citizen  of  heaven. 
This,  it  is  evident  must  be  a  supernatural  life.  Turn- 
ing to  the  Scriptures  which  reveal  the  position  and 


2OO  Grace 

responsibility  of  the  child  of  God  under  grace,  it  is 
found  that  a  superhuman  manner  of  life  is  proposed 
and  that  a  supernatural  power  is  provided  for  its 
exact  and  perfect  execution.  These  are  two  of  the 
most  vital  facts  concerning  the  teachings  of  grace 
and  they  should  be  observed  with  great  care : 

1.  As  to  the  character  of  the  requirements  which 
are  imposed. 

The  manner  of  life  which  is  enjoined  under  grace 
is  superhuman.  This  aspect  of  the  teachings  of 
grace  may  be  seen  at  every  point.  A  very  few 
passages  will  suffice  by  way  of  illustration: 

"Casting  down  imaginations,  and  every  high 
thing  that  exalteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  bringing  into  captivity  every  thought  to 
the  obedience  of  Christ"  (2  Cor.  10:5);  "That  ye 
should  shew  forth  the  praises  [virtues]  of  him  who 
hath  called  you  out  of  darkness  into  his  marvel- 
_  lous  light"  (1  Pet.  2:  9);  "Giving  thanks  always 

Hfor  all  things  unto  God"  (Eph.  5:  20) ;  "That  ye 
walk  worthy  of  the  vocation  wherewith  ye  are  called" 
'  /:  i ,  f  (Eph.  4:1);  "Walk  in  the  light"  (1  John  1:7); 
"•"Walk  in  love"  (Eph.  5:2);  "Walk  in  the  Spirit" 
(Gal.  5:  16) ;  "Grieve  not  the  holy  Spirit  of  God" 
(Eph.  4:  30) ;  "Quench  not  the  Spirit"  (1  Thes.  5 
:19). 

There  is  no  question  as  to  the  superhuman  char- 
acter of  these  injunctions.  What  human  resource 
is  able  to  reproduce  the  very  virtues  of  Christ  ?  Who 
is  able  to  give  thanks  always  for  all  things?  Who 
will  be  able  so  to  live  that  he  will  not  grieve  the  Holy 


The  Life  under  Grace  aoi 

Spirit,  nor  quench  the  Spirit?  This  demand  is  for 
a  superhuman  manner  of  life,  and  the  passages 
quoted  are  only  representative  of  the  whole  character 
of  the  teachings  of  grace.  These  teachings  surpass 
the  standards  of  the  law  of  Moses  in  the  measure  in 
which  infinity  surpasses  the  finite.  When  unfolding 
the  high  character  of  the  teachings  of  grace,  Christ 
said:  "A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  That 
ye  love  one  another ;  as  I  have  loved  you,  that  ye  also 
love  one  another";  ''This  is  my  commandment,  That 
ye  love  one  another,  as  I  have  loved  you"  (John  13: 
34;  15:12).  The  new  commandment  is  in  contrast 
to  an  old  commandment  of  Moses:  "Love  thy  neigh- 
bour as  thyself."  These  Scriptures  may  be  taken  as 
a  fair  illustration  of  the  difference  between  the  stan- 
dards of  the  law  of  Moses,  and  the  standards  of  grace. 
Under  the  Mosaic  system,  love  for  others  was  to  be  in 
the  degree  in  which  one  loved  himself:  under  grace 
it  is  to  be  in  the  degree  in  which  Christ  has  loved  us 
and  given  His  life  for  us  (1  John  3: 16). 

The  standards  of  the  teachings  of  grace  surpass  the 
standards  of  the  laws  of  the  kingdom.  The  same  ex- 
ample— of  love  one  for  another — will  again  illustrate. 
The  requirement  in  the  kingdom  on  this  point  is 
stated  thus:  "Ye  have  heard  that  it  hath  been  said, 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour,  and  hate  thine  enemy. 
But  I  say  unto  you,  Love  your  enemies,  bless  them 
that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and 
pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use  you,  and  perse- 
cute you ;  that  ye  may  be  the  children  of  your  Father 
which  is  in  heaven :  for  he  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on 
the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just 
and  on  the  unjust.  For  if  ye  love  them  which  love 


2O2  Grace 

you,  what  reward  have  ye?  Do  not  even  the  publi- 
cans the  same?"  (Mt.  5:43-46). 

This  is  a  great  advance  over  the  standard  of  love 
demanded  under  the  law  of  Moses.  There  love  was 
required  to  a  limited  degree;  but  nothing  was  said 
concerning  the  necessary  attitude  toward  the  enemy. 
Christ  implies  that  the  law  of  Moses  proposed  love  for 
the  neighbour  and  hate  for  the  enemy.  The  degree  of 
love  expected  under  the  ideals  of  the  kingdom  is  only 
such  as  might  reasonably  be  expected  from  the  heart 
that  has  been  inclined  to  do  the  kingdom  law.  It 
bears  no  comparison  to  the  standards  of  love  which 
are  proposed  under  grace.  Consider,  first,  that  love 
under  grace  is  the  "fruit  of  the  Spirit"  (Gal.  5:  22). 
Literally,  "the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  [gushes 
forth]  in  our  hearts  by  [out  from]  the  Holy  Ghost 
which  is  given  unto  us"  (Rom.  5:5).  This  both 
guarantees  the  exact  reproduction  in  the  child  of  God 
of  the  love  of  Christ — "as  I  have  loved  you" — and 
destroys  every  ground  of  personal  reward  for  such 
love.  The  believer  is  not  said  to  be  rewarded  for 
those  graces  which  are  not  his  own,  but  which  are 
produced  in  him  by  the  indwelling  Spirit.  On  the 
other  hand,  love,  according  to  the  standards  of  the 
kingdom  is  distinctly  said  to  be  a  matter  for  personal 
reward.  By  such  love  for  enemies,  the  children  of 
the  kingdom  will  be  the  children  of  their  Father  which 
is  in  heaven.  This,  it  is  evident,  is  made  to  depend 
on  self -wrought  conformity  to  the  Father  who  Him- 
self is  benevolent  to  His  enemies.  In  the  "Sermon 
on  the  Mount,"  the  Spirit  is  not  once  mentioned  nor 
is  any  divine  enablement  suggested. 

Consider,   also,   that  love,   as  anticipated  in  the 


\ 


X 


The  Life  under  Grace  203 

teachings  of  grace,  is  the  very  heart  of  the  Evangel 
and  evangelism.  By  the  imparted,  divine  compas- 
sion for  the  lost  which  brought  Christ  from  heaven 
to  earth  and  took  Him  to  the  cross  to  die,  under  grace, 
men  are  to  be  impelled  to  win  souls.  Such  divine 
compassion  for  souls  has  been  the  dynamic  of  all 
soul-winning  work  from  Pentecost  until  now.  It  was 
the  experience  of  the  Apostle  Paul  as  disclosed  in  his 
testimony:  "I  say  the  truth  in  Christ,  I  lie  not, 
my  conscience  also  bearing  me  witness  in  the  Holy 
Ghost,  that  I  have  great  heaviness  and  continual  sor- 
row in  my  heart.  For  I  could  wish  that  myself  were 
accursed  from  Christ  for  my  brethren,  my  kinsmen 
according  to  the  flesh"  (Rom.  9  :_^3].  There  was  no 
occasion  for  the  Apostle  to  be  accursed  from  Christ, 
nor  did  he  expect  to  be;  but  he  was  willing  to  be. 
Thus  was  the  love  of  Christ,  who  bore  the  sin  of 
others,  definitely  reproduced  in  the  one  in  whom  the 
Spirit  wrought.  True  passion  for  the  salvation  of 
men  is  not  a  manifestation  of  love  springing  out  of 
human  nature.  It  must  be  imparted  from  God. 
Therefore  evangelism  is  neither  expected  nor  required 
in  either  the  law  of  Moses,  or  the  law  of  the  kingdom. 
By  this  very  partial  treatment  oFthe  "varying  "de- 
grees of  difficulty  presented  in  these  dissimilar  rules 
of  conduct,  it  may  be  seen  that  the  standards  under 
grace  are  infinitely  higher  than  the  standards  of 
either  the  law  of  Moses,  or  the  law  of  the  kingdom. 
They  are  superhuman. 

2.  As  to  the  divine  enablement. 

A  supernatural  power  is  provided  for  the  exact  and 
perfect  execution  of  the  superhuman  rule  of  life  un- 


2O4  Grace 

der  grace.  There  is  no  aspect  of  the  teachings  of  grace 
which  is  more  vital  than  this,  or  which  so  fully  dif- 
ferentiates these  teachings  from  every  other  rule  of 
life  in  the  Bible.  Under  grace,  the  all  powerful, 
abiding,  indwelling  and  sufficient  Holy  Spirit  of  God 
is  given  to  every  saved  person.  This  statement  is 
abundantly  established  by  revelation  (John  7 :  37-39 ; 
Rom.  5:5;  8:9;  1  Cor.  2:12;  6:19;  Gal.  3:2;  1 
Thes.  4:8;  1  John  3:24;  4:13),1  and  is  assumed  in 
every  teaching  of  grace.  The  superhuman  manner 
of  life  under  grace  is  not  addressed  to  some  spiritual 
company  alone  within  the  whole  body  of  Christ;  it 
,  is  addressed  to  all  believers  alike.  The  imposition 
of  this  superhuman  manner  of  life  upon  all  believers 
alike,  carries  with  it  the  revelation  that  all  have  the 
supernatural  power  by  which  to  live  according  to  the 
superhuman  standards.  This,  it  is  evident,  is  accord- 
ing to  the  teaching  of  the  Word  of  God. 

The  character  of  pure  grace  is  destroyed  when  the 
reception  of  the  Spirit  into  the  individual  heart  is 
made  to  depend  on  any  human  merit,  goodness,  or 
personal  consecration  whatsoever.  In  1  Cor.  6 : 19,  20 
we  read:  "What?  know  ye  not  that  your  body  is 
the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  is  in  you,  which 
ye  have  of  God,  and  ye  are  not  your  own?  For  ye 
are  bought  with  a  price:  therefore  glorify  God  in 
your  _body,  and  in  your  spirit,  which  are  God's." 
The  law  element  is  excluded  here.  Under  the  law,  it 
would  have  been  written:  "Glorify  God  in  your 
bodies  and  spirit  and  ye  shall  become  temples  of  the 

Careful  study  will  disclose  the  fact  that  Lk.  11:  13;  Acts 
5:32;  8:  12-17;  19:  1-7;  Eph.  1:  13  do  not  contradict  this 
positive  doctrine  of  Scripture. 


The  Life  under  Grace  205 

Holy  Spirit."  Under  grace,  believers  are  temples  of 
the  Spirit  without  reference  to  merit,  and  this  is  true 
of  every  aspect  of  their  salvation.  The  fact  that 
they  are  temples  of  the  indwelling  Spirit  is  the  basis 
of  this  appeal  for  a  holy  life.  A  consideration  of 
1  Cor.  5 : 1,  2,  13 ;  6 : 1-8  will  give  abundant  evidence 
of  the  meritless  condition  of  the  Corinthian  saints  at 
the  time  the  Spirit  addressed  this  appeal  to  them 
through  the  Apostle  Paul.  The  earnest  supplication 
is  for  a  daily  life  which  corresponds  to  the  wonderful 
fact  that  they  are  already  temples  of  the  Spirit. 

There  is  an  important  distinction  to  be  noted  be- 
tween the  indwelling  and  the  infilling  with  the  Spirit. 
I  No  Scripture  asserfs  that  all  believers  are  filled  with 
the  Spirit.  The  filling  with  the  Spirit,  which  is  the 
requirement  for  an  experience  of  blessing  and  the  ex- 
ercise of  divine  power,  is  an  issue  which  should  be 
considered  wholly  apart  from  the  revelation  concern- 
ing the  indwelling  Spirit. 

The  fact  that  the  Sp_mt_indwells  every  believer  is 
peculiar  to  the  age  of  grace.  Tn  the  law  dispen- 
sation, for  particular  divine  purposes,  certain  indi- 
viduals were,  at  times,  filled  with  the  Spirit;  but 
there  is  no  revelation  stating  that  every  Israelite,  be- 
ing under  the  law,  was  a  temple  of  the  Spirit.  In 
like  manner,  under  the  law,  there  was  no  abiding 
character  to  the  relationship  between  the  Spirit  and 
individuals  upon  whom  He  came  (Ps.  51:11).  The 
Spirit  came  upon  them,  or  departed,  according  to  the 
sovereign  purpose  of  God.  Under  grace,  the  Spirit 
is  not  only  given  to  every  believer,  but  He  never 
withdraws.  This  assurance  is  based  on  the  unfailing 
prayer  of  Christ  (John  14:16).  This  is  in  precise 


206  Grace 

accordance  with  the  conditions  embodied  in  the 
covenant  of  grace.  Should  human  merit  determine 
His  abiding  presence,  then,  under  that  relationship, 
the  basic  principle  of  grace  would  be  superseded  by 
the  principle  of  law-works.  The  entrance  of  the 
Spirit  into  the  heart,  and  His  abiding  presence  there, 
is  a  part  of  the  saving  and  keeping  power  of  God, 
which  is  by  grace  alone.  The  revelation  of  the  New 
Testament  with  regard  to  the  indwelling,  abiding 
Spirit  in  every  believer  is  in  full  agreement  with  the 
doctrine  of  pure  grace. 

When  considering  the  question  of  the  enabling 
power  of  the  Spirit  in  the  individual  lives  of  the 
children  of  the  kingdom,  it  will  be  seen  from  the 
Scriptures  that,  at  the  opening  of  that  period  at  least, 
the  Spirit  is  to  come  upon  all  flesh,  and  the  indi- 
vidual will  prophesy,  dream  dreams,  and  see  visions 
(Joel  2:  28-32;  Acts  2: 16-22) ;  but  there  is  no  reve- 
lation to  the  effect  that  this  will  be  an  abiding  pres- 
ence and  ministry,  since  it  is  related  to  mighty  signs 
and  wonders  in  nature  which  accompany  the  second 
advent  of  Messiah.  And,  in  like  manner,  there  is  no 
revelation  concerning  the  enabling  power  of  the 
Spirit  for  conduct  in  the  daily  life  of  the  individual 
in  the  kingdom.  The  kingdom  teachings  of  the 
Scriptures  do  not  emphasize  the  work  of  the  Spirit. 
Any  divine  provision  for  personal  enablement  in 
daily  life,  it  would  seem  from  a  careful  examination 
of  the  Scriptures,  is  foreign  to  every  aspect  of  law- 
rule  ;  whether  it  be  that  of  Moses,  or  that  of  the  king- 
dom. 

So  vital  is  the  fact  that  the  enabling  Spirit  is  now 
given  to  every  believer  as  a  part  of  salvation  by 


The  Life  under  Grace  207 

grace,  that  it  is  presented  as  a  fundamental  char- 
acteristic of  this  age.  This  is  the  dispensation  of  the 
indwelling  Spirit.  We  read :  ' '  But  now  we  are  de- 
livered from  the  law,  that  being  dead  wherein  we 
were  held;  that  we  should  serve  in  newness  of  spirit 
[Spirit],  and  not  in  the  oldness  of  the  letter"  (Rom. 
7:6).  Thus  the  new  enabling  power  of  the  Spirit 
characterizes  this  age,  as  the  "oldness  of  the  letter" 
characterized  the  age  that  is  past.  Likewise  cir- 
cumcision is  now  "of  the  heart,"  in  the  Spirit,  and 
not  in  the  "letter"  (Rom.  2:  29),  or  as  it  was  in  the 
flesh  under  the  law.  Again,  "Who  also  hath  made 
us  able  ministers  of  the  New  Testament;  not  of  the 
letter,  but  of  the  spirit  [Spirit]  :  for  the  letter  killeth, 
but  the  spirit  [Spirit]  giveth  life"  (2  Cor.  3:6). 
Reference  in  this  passage  is  not  made  to  different 
methods  of  interpreting  Scripture — a  spiritualizing, 
or  a  literal  method;  but  to  two  dispensations  with 
their  different  methods  of  divine  rule.  "The  letter 
killeth" — such  is  the  inevitable  ministry  of  the  law; 
"But  the  spirit  giveth  life" — divine  life,  spiritual 
vitality,  energy,  and  power  is  provided  for  the  believer 
under  grace,  and  for  every  believer  alike.  Thus  it  is 
revealed  that  the  blessing  of  the  indwelling  Spirit  is 
an  essential  characteristic  of  this  age. 

If  the  manner  of  life  under  grace  is  superhuman, 
so,  also,  the  provided  enablement  is  supernatural,  and 
is  as  limitless  as  the  infinite  power  of  God.  Since 
God  has  proposed  a  humanly  impossible  manner  of 
life,  He  has,  in  full  consistency,  provided  the  Spirit 
who  giveth  life.  Too  much  emphasis  cannot  be 
placed  on  the  fact  that,  since  God  has  proposed  the 
impossible  rule  of  life  and  provided  the  sufficient 


208  Grace 

Spirit,  the  believer's  responsibility  is  thereby 
changed  from  being  a  struggle  of  the  flesh  to  being  a 
reliance  on  the  Spirit.  Grace  thus  introduces  a  new 
problem  for  the  believer's  life  which  is  wholly  for- 
eign to  every  aspect  of  the  law.  It  is  the  problem  of 
the  adjustment  of  the  heart  to  the  holy  presence  of 
the  Spirit,  and  of  maintaining  the  unbroken  attitude 
of  dependence  on  the  Spirit.  The  new  principle  of 
achievement  consists  in  getting  things  accomplished 
in  the  believer's  daily  life  and  service  by  trusting 
the  power  of  Another,  rather  than  by  trusting  the 
energy  of  the  flesh.  The  revelation  concerning  this 
new  problem  of  life  under  grace  constitutes  the  major 
part  of  the  teaching  of  the  Epistles.  Not  only  is 
the  faith  principle  directly  taught  in  the  Epistles; 
it  is  implied  and  assumed  in  every  injunction  under 
grace.  The  unfolding  of  the  precise  relationship  be- 
tween the  personality  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  person- 
ality of  the  believer,  is  not  omitted.  Experimentally, 
the  believer,  when  empowered  by  the  Spirit,  will  be 
conscious  only  of  the  exercise  of  his  own  faculties. 
The  Spirit  does  not  disclose  His  presence  directly; 
His  ministry  is  to  reveal  and  glorify  Christ.  His 
presence  will  be  ^evidenced,  however,  by  the  victory 
that  is  wrought,  which  victory  could  be  wrought  only 
by  the  Spirit. 

Thus,  either  the  by-works  principle  of  the  law,  or 
the  by-faith  principle  of  grace,  may  be  chosen  by  the 
believer  as  a  method  of  achievement  even  within  the 
deepest  issues  of  Christian  conduct  and  service.  If 
these  heaven-high  demands  are  undertaken  in  the 
energy  of  the  flesh,  they  become  purely  legal  in  char- 
acter; if  they  are  undertaken  in  full  reliance  on  the 


The  Life  under  Grace  209 

provided  energy  of  the  Spirit,  they  are  purely  gra- 
cious in  character.  One  is  wholly  within  the  scope 
of  the  covenant  of  the  law,  which  covenant  is  based 
on  works ;  the  other  is  wholly  within  the  scope  of  the 
covenant  of  grace,  which  covenant  is  based  on  faith. 
Thus  the  teachings  of  grace,  when  attempted  in  the 
energy  of  the  flesh,  become  a  legal  code,  the  demands 
of  which  are  the  most  impossible  to  meet.  How  very 
many  Christians  are  under  this  aspect  of  law;  even 
those  who  give  some  attention  to  the  actual  precepts 
of  grace ! 

There  are  two  inseparable  revelations  given  in  the 
grace  teachings  of  the  New  Testament.  Each  one  is 
the  counterpart,  complement,  and  supplement  of  the 
other,  and  untold  violence  is  done  to  the  whole  re- 
vealed purpose  of  God  in  this  age  when  either  one  of 
these  themes  is  made  to  stand  alone.  One  theme  is 
presented  in  that  body  of  Scripture  which  sets  forth 
the  character  of  conduct  that  is  becoming  to  the  one 
who  is  already  saved  and  safe  in  the  grace  of  God;/ 
the  other  theme  is  presented  in  that  body  of  Scrip- 
ture which  sets  forth  the  fact  that  the  life  in  grace  is 
to  be  lived  in  sole  dependence  on  the  enabling  power 
of  the  indwelling  Spirit.  The  latter  body  of  Scrip- 
ture includes  all  the  details  and  instructions  concern- '; 
ing  the  life  of  faith,  and  the  walk  in  the  Spirit.  It"*" 
is  obviously  imperative  that  these  two  revelations 
shall  not  be  separated.  Otherwise,  on  the  one  hand, 
the  teachings  of  grace  will  seem  to  be  an  impossible 
law-code,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  the  walk  in  the 
Spirit  will  seem  to  be  an  uncharted,  aimless  pro- 
cedure. 

In  the  grace  teachings  of  the  New  Testament,  these 


2io  Grace 

two  aspects  of  truth  are  never  separated.  In  adduc- 
ing proof  of  this,  it  is  impossible  in  a  work  of  this 
length  to  review  every  Scripture  bearing  upon  this 
truth.  Proceeding  from  the  fact  that  the  superhu- 
man manner  of  life  under  grace  is  taught  in  all  the 
New  Testament  books  beginning  with  the  Gospel  by 
John,  there  is  space  for  only  one  quotation  from  each 
of  these  up  to,  and  including,  the  Epistle  to  the 
Colossians.  This  body  of  Scripture  discloses  the 
truth  that  the  life  in  grace  is  to  be  lived  only  by  the 
enabling  power  of  God : 

John  7:37-39.  "In  the  last  day,  that  great  day 
of  the  feast,  Jesus  stood  and  cried,  saying,  If  any  man 
thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me,  and  drink.  He  that  be- 
fA  lieveth  on  me,  as  the  scripture  hath  said,  out  of  his 
belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water.  (But  this 
spake  he  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  that  believe  on 
him  should  receive :  for  the  Holy  Ghost  was  not  yet 
given;  because  that  Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified)." 
Here  the  superhuman  outflow  of  rivers  of  living 
water  is  distinctly  said  to  be  the  result  of  the  energy 
of  the  Spirit. 

•V  Acts  1:8.  ' '  But  ye  shall  receive  power,  after  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you:  and  ye  shall  be 
witnesses  unto  me."  The  revelation  here  is  that, 
apart  from  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  there  can  be  no 
vital  witness  unto  Christ. 

Rom.  6 : 14 ;  8 : 4.  ' '  For  sin  shall  not  have  domin- 
ion over  you :  for  ye  are  not  under  the  law,  but  un- 
der grace."  No  enabling  power  was  provided  for 
the  doing  of  the  law ;  but  such  power  is  provided  un- 
der grace.  ' '  That  the  righteousness  of  the  law  might 
be  fulfilled  in  us,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but 


The  Life  under  Grace  21 1 

after  the  Spirit."  No  passage  in  the  teachings  of 
grace  is  more  decisive  than  this.  ' '  The  righteousness 
of  the  law, ' '  referred  to,  is  evidently  no  less  than  the 
whole  will  of  God  for  His  child  under  grace.  This 
divine  will  is  to  be  fulfilled  in  the  believer ;  but  never 
by  the  believer. 

I  Cor.  12 : 4-7.     "Now  there  are  diversities  of  gifts, 
but  the  same  Spirit.    And  there  are  differences  of 
administrations,  but  the  same  Lord.    And  there  are 
diversities  of  operations,  but  it  is  the  same  God  which 
worketh  [energiseth]  all  in  all.    But  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  Spirit  is  given  to  every  man  [Christian] 
to  profit  withal."    As  all  Christian  service  is  by  the 
exercise  of  a  spiritual  gift,  these  gifts  are  wholly  rea- 
lized by  the  energy  of  the  power  of  God. 

II  Cor.   10:3-5.    "For   though   we   walk   in   the 
flesh,  we  do  not  war  after  the  flesh:   (for  the  weapons 
of  our  warfare  are  not  carnal   [fleshly],  but  mighty 
through  God  to  the  pulling  down  of  strong  holds) ; 
casting  down  imaginations,  and  every  high  thing  that 
exalteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of   God,  and 
bringing  into  captivity  every  thought  to  the  obedi- 
ence of  Christ."     For  this  superhuman  manner  of 
life,  the  believer  is  to  be  "mighty  through  God." 

Gal.  5:16.  "This  I  say  then,  Walk  in  [by  means 
of]  the  Spirit,  and  ye  shall  not  fulfil  the  lust  of  the 
flesh."  This  promise  is  as  sure  as  it  is  far-reaching. 

Eph.  6:10,  11.  "Finally,  my  brethren,  be  strong 
in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  his  might.  Put  on 
the  whole  armour  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  stand 
against  the  wiles  of  the  devil."  True  overcoming 
strength  is  none  other  than  the  imparted  "power  of 
God." 


212 


Grace 


Phil.  2: 13.  "For  it  is  God  which  worketh  in  you 
both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure."  Here 
the  divine  enablement  reaches  to  the  very  molding 
of  the  desires  of  the  heart,  and  to  the  full  accomplish- 
ment of  those  desires. 

Col.  2:6.  "As  ye  have  therefore  received  Christ 
Jesus  the  Lord,  so  walk  ye  in  him."  In  this  Scrip- 
ture the  very  same  faith-principle,  by  which  alone 
a  soul  can  be  saved,  is  continued  as  the  principle  by 
which  alone  he  is  to  walk. 

The  whole  aspect  of  grace,  which  provides  a  super- 
natural sufficiency  for  the  superhuman,  heavenly  con- 
duct, and  which  is  the  believer's  reasonable  life  and 
service,  is  summed  up  in  two  great  doctrines  of  the 
New  Testament: 

a.  The  superhuman  manner  of  life  is  to  be  Christ- 
like.    He  is  the  pattern:     "Let  this  mind  be  in  you, 
which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus"   (Phil.  2:5);  "As 
he  is,   so  are  we  in  this  world"    (1  John  4:17); 
"Christ  also  suffered  for  us,  leaving  us  an  example, 
that  ye   should   follow  his  steps"    (1   Pet.   2:21); 
"For  to  me  to  live  is  Christ"  (Phil.  1:  21).    To  be 
inlawed  to  Christ  (1  Cor.  9:21)  is  to  be  committed 
to  the  very  standard  of  which  He  is  the  ideal.     There- 
fore the   Christian's  standard  is  superhuman,  and 
beyond  the  power  of  human  achievement. 

b.  It  is  the  supreme  purpose  of  the  indwelling 
Spirit  to  reproduce  Christlikeness  in  the  believer.  The 
most  comprehensive  statement  of  the  reproduction  of 
Christ  in  the  believer  is  found  in  Gal.   5 : 22,  23 : 
"But  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long- 
suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  tem- 
perance" (self-control).     Every  word,  as  here  used, 


The  Life  under  Grace  213 

represents  a  superhuman  quality  of  life.  It  is  an 
exact  description  of  the  life  of  Christ;  but  Christ- 
likeness  is  never  gained  by  the  energy  of  the  flesh. 
These  virtues  are  not  found  in  human  nature;  they 
are  the  "fruit  of  the  Spirit."  Under  the  law,  that 
degree  of  love  is  required  which  is  possible  to  the 
natural  man ;  under  grace,  the  divine  love  is  wrought 
in  the  heart  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  true  of  all 
the  superhuman  demands  under  grace.  They  are 
wrought  into  the  life  by  the  Spirit.  The  heavenly 
standard  requires:  "Rejoice  in  the  Lord  alway: 
and  again  I  say,  Rejoice"  (Phil.  4:4).  This  is 
humanly  impossible,  but  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is 
"joy,"  and  the  Lord  has  said,  "That  they  might 
have  my  joy  fulfilled  in  themselves"  (John  17:13). 
The  standard  of  grace  requires  that  "The  peace 
of  God"  shall  "rule  in  your  hearts"  (Col.  3:15). 
Man  has  never  achieved  this,  but  the  fruit  of  the 
Spirit  is  "peace,"  and  Christ  has  said:  "My  peace 
I  give  unto  you"  (John  14:  27).  The  nine-fold  fruit 
of  the  Spirit  represents  the  true  Christian  graces, 
since  under  grace,  this  fruit  is  produced  in  the  heart 
and  life  by  the  Spirit. 

Likewise,  Christian  service  is  to  be  superhuman. 
It  is  the  outflow  of  "rivers  of  living  water";  but 
"this  spake  he  of  the  Spirit"  (John  7:37-39).  It 
is  the  full  proof  of  "that  good,  and  acceptable,  and 
perfect,  will  of  God"  (Rom.  12:2) ;  but,  "it  is  God 
which  worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his 
good  pleasure"  (Phil.  2:13).  It  is  all  supernatur- 
ally  wrought;  for  it  is  the  exercise  of  a  spiritual 
gift^-a  "manifestation  of  the  Spirit"  (1  Cor.  12:7). 
As  Christian  character  is  the  composite  of  the  in- 


214  Grace 

wrought  graces,  so  Christian  service  is  an  imparted 
"grace."  "But  unto  every  one  of  us  is  given  grace 
according  to  the  measure  of  the  gift  of  Christ"  (Eph. 
4:7)  ;  and,  "But  the  manifestation  of  the  Spirit  is 
given  to  every  man  to  profit  withal"  (1  Cor.  12:7). 

Divine  grace,  inwrought  and  imparted  by  the  in- 
dwelling Spirit,  results  in  a  manifestation  of  the  very 
graciousness  of  God  in  and  through  the  heart  of  the 
believer.  It  is  in  no  sense  an  imitation:,  of  God's 
graciousness;  it  is  a  reproduction  by  the  indwelling 
Spirit  of  that  graciousness  in  the  life  and  service  of 
the  believer.  This  truth  is  one  of  the  most  extensive 
doctrines  of  the  New  Testament  (Cf  Rom.  12:3-6; 
15:15;  ICor.  1:4;  3: 10;  15: 10;  2  Cor.  1:12;  4: 15; 
6:1-3;  8:1,  6,  7,  9;  9:8,  14;  12:9;  Gal.  2:9;  Eph. 
3:2-8;  4:7,  29;  Phil.  1:7;  Col.  3:16;  4:6;  2  Thes. 
1:12;  2  Tim.  2:1;  Heb.  4:16;  12:15;  Jas.  4:6;  and 
2  Pet.  3:18). 

It  may  be  concluded,  then,  that  there  are  three 
major  distinctions  between  law  and  grace:  (1)  They 
are  unlike  because  they  impose  separate  and  sufficient 
rules  of  life,  which  are,  in  their  character,  either 
wholly  legal  or  wholly  gracious;  (2)  They  are  un- 
like because  there  are  in  these  systems  opposite  or- 
ders between  the  human  obligation  and  the  divine 
blessing;  and  (3)  They  are  unlike  because  the  re- 
\  quirements  of  these  systems  of  divine  rule  differ, 
\  with  corresponding  revelations  concerning  divine  en- 
\  ablement  provided  in  each. 


THE  LJFE  UNDER  GRACE 

(continued) 

SECTION  FIVE 
THE  LAW  DONE  AWAY 

Since  law  and  grace  are  opposed  to  each  other  at 
every  point,  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  co-exist, 
either  as  the  ground  of  acceptance  before  God  or 
as  the  rule  of  life.  Of  necessity,  therefore,  the  Scrip- 
tures of  the  New  Testament  which  present  the  facts 
and  scope  of  grace,  both  assume  and  directly  teach 
that  the  law  is  done  away.  Consequently,  it  is  not 
in  force  in  the  present  age  in  any  sense  whatsoever. 
This  present  nullification  of  the  law  applies  not  only 
to  the  legal  code  of  the  Mosaic  system  and  the  law 
of  the  kingdom,  but  to  every  possible  application  of 
the  principle  of  law.  The  larger  conception  of  the 
law,  as  before  defined,  is  three-fold:  (1)  The  ac- 
tual written  instructions  of  both  the  teachings  of 
Moses  and  the  teachings  of  the  kingdom;  (2)  The 
law  covenant  of  works  in  all  of  its  applications,  which 
conditions  blessing  and  acceptance  with  God  on  the 
ground  of  personal  merit;  And,  (3)  the  law  principle 
of  dependence  on  the  energy  of  the  flesh,  in  place  of 
the  faith  principle  of  a  dependence  on  the  power  of 
the  indwelling  Spirit.  It  will  also  be  seen  that  (4) 
Judaism  is  done  away. 

That  the  law,  in  the  widest  three-fold  meaning  of 

215 


216  Grace 

the  term,  is  now  set  aside,  is  revealed  as  a  funda- 
mental fact  in  the  divine  economy  of  grace.  That 
the  law  has  now  ceased,  even  in  its  widest  meaning, 
should  be  considered  with  unprejudiced  attention. 

I.  THE  ACTUAL  WRITTEN  INSTRUCTIONS  OP  BOTH  THE 
TEACHINGS  OF  THE  LAW  OF  MOSES  AND  THE  KINGDOM 
ARE  DONE  AWAY. 

These  actual  written  commandments,  either  of 
Moses  or  the  kingdom,  are  not  the  rule  of  the  believ- 
er's life  under  grace,  any  more  than  these  systems  are 
the  basis  of  his  salvation.  The  complete  withdrawl 
of  the  authority  of  these  two  systems  of  law  will  now 
be  considered: 

First,  The  Passing  of  the  Law  of  Moses  is  the  Ex- 
plicit Teaching  of  the  New  Testament  Scriptures. 

An  important  and  determining  feature  of  this 
truth  is  found  in  the  difference  which  is  revealed  be- 
tween the  abiding,  eternal  character  of  the  Abra- 
hamic  covenant  and  the  temporal,  limited  character 
of  the  law  covenant  of  Sinai.  The  Abrahamic  cov- 
enant anticipated  both  the  earthly  seed  through  Is- 
rael, and  the  spiritual  seed  that  would  stand  related 
to  God  on  the  principle  of  faith.  This  covenant,  be- 
ing without  human  condition,  simply  declares  the 
unchanging  purpose  of  Jehovah.  It  will  be  achieved 
in  pure  grace,  apart  from  every  human  factor,  and 
its  accomplishments  are  eternal.  On  the  one  hand, 
the  covenant  of  the  Mosaic  law  was  a  temporary,  ad 
interim,  dealing  with  God,  which  was  deliberately 
chosen  by  the  nation  Israel,  and  which  applied  to 


The  Life  under  Grace  217 

them  only.  It  was  plainly  designed  to  govern  that 
people  in  their  land,  and  for  such  time  as  might  inter- 
vene between  their  acceptance  of  that  covenant,  and 
the  coming  of  the  promised  Seed.  The  Seed  is 
Christ.  The  coming  of  Christ  into  the  world  was 
the  realization  of  the  hope  contained  in  the  Abra- 
hamic  covenant,  and,  of  necessity,  the  termination 
of  the  ad  interim  reign  of  the  law.  We  read:  "For 
the  promise,  that  he  should  be  the  heir  of  the  world, 
was  not  to  Abraham,  or  to  his  seed,  through  law,  but 
through  the  righteousness  of  faith.  For  if  they 
which  are  of  the  law  be  heirs,  faith  is  made  void, 
and  the  promise  [the  Abrahamic  covenant]  made 
of  none  effect:  because  the  law  worketh  wrath:  for 
where  no  law  is,  there  is  no  transgression  [though 
there  is  sin].  Therefore  it  [the  promise  through 
Abraham]  is  of  faith,  that  it  might  be  by  grace; 
to  the  end  the  promise  might  be  sure  to  all  the  seed ; 
not  to  that  only  which  is  of  the  law  [believing 
Israelites],  but  to  that  also  which  is  of  the  faith 
[even  believing  Gentiles]  of  Abraham;  who  is  the 
father  [on  a  faith  principle]  of  us  all.  .  .  .  And 
therefore  it  [the  faith]  was  imputed  to  him  for  right- 
eousness. Now  it  was  notTwnttenfor  his  sake  alone, 
that  it  was  imputed  to  him ;  but  for  us  also,  to  whom 
it  shall  be  imputed,  if  we  believe  on  him  that  raised  up 
Jesus  our  Lord  from  the  dead"  (Rom.  4:13-24). 
Thus  it  is  demonstrated  that  the  law  has  no  place 
in  the  divine  dealings  under  grace.  We  read  again : 
The  law  "was  added  .  .  .  till  the  seed  should 
come"  (Gal.  3 : 19) ;  but  when  the  Seed  did  come,  the 
authority  of  the  Mosaic  law  was  no  longer  required, 
or  even  possible,  as  a  principle  of  divine  rule.  It 


218  Grace 

was  the  purpose  of  God  to  close  every  door  of  access 
to  Himself,  but  one.  This  fact  is  next  stated  in  the 
argument  from  the  Scriptures:  "But  the  scripture 
hath  concluded  all  [both  Jew  and  Gentile]  under 
sin"  (Gal.  3:22).  This,  it  has  been  seen,  is  more 
than  a  declaration  that  men  are  sinners  by  nature 
and  by  practice,  and  therefore  subject  to  divine  dis- 
pleasure ;  it  is  a  universal,  judicial  decree  which  places 
the  whole  race  absolutely  without  merit  before  God. 
From  that  position  there  is  no  escape  other  than 
through  the  exercise  of  pure  grace  on  the  part  of 
God.  The  divine  motive  in  the  universal  sentence 
of  the  race  under  sin  is  declared  to  be,  according 
to  that  which  follows  in  the  text :  ' '  That  the  prom- 
ise by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  might  be  given  to  them 
that  believe"  (Gal.  3:22).  Thus  the  ad  interim 
reign  of  the  law  is  completely  annulled,  and  the 
divine  blessing  is  now  centered  in  Christ  as  the 
sole  object  of  faitli,  being  promised  to  them  that  be- 
lieve. The  law  principle  is  not  retained  as  a  pos- 
sible optional  relationship  to  God:  "There  is  none 
other  name  under  heaven  given  among  men,  where- 
by we  must  be  saved"  (Acts  4: 12). 

It  is  important  to  observe,  however,  that,  while 
God  has  completely  terminated  the  reign  of  law  by 
the  death  of  Christ,  so  far  as  His  relation  to  man  is 
concerned,  man  is  free  to  reject  or  distort  the  truth 
of  God,  and  to  impose  the  law  obligation  upon  him- 
self. In  such  a  case,  it  does  not  follow  that  God  ac- 
cepts, or  even  recogni/.es,  any  self-imposed  legalism. 
He  could  not  do  so.  It  docs  follow,  however,  that 
the  self-constituted  legalist,  to  be  consistent  with  his 
own  choice,  should  any  part  of  the  law  be  accepted  as 


The  Life  under  Grace  219 

binding,  must  observe  the  whole  of  the  law  to  do  it. 
The  law  was  a  unit.  He  that  offendeth  in  one  point 
is  guilty  of  all;  whatsoever  the  law  saith,  it  saith  to 
them  that  are  under  the  law,  and,  he  is  a  debtor  to  do 
the  whole  law.  Since  the  law  is  done  away,  these 
statements  can  only  apply  to  the  one  who,  without 
divine  sanction  or  recognition,  has  assumed  the  obli- 
gation of  the  law. 

The  following  Scriptures  disclose  the  fact  that  the 
law  was  never  given  to  any  people  other  than  Israel : 
"Hear,  O  Israel"  (Deut.  5:1);  "Who  are  Israelites; 
to  whom  pertaineth  the  adoption,  and  the  glory,  and 
the  covenants,  and  the  giving  of  the  law"  (Rom.  I 

^'For  when  the  Gentiles,  which  have  not  the 
law,  do  by  nature  [practice]  the  things  contained  in 
the  law,  these,  having  not  the  law,  are  a  law  unto  -. 
themselves"  (Rom.  2:14);  "Then  said  Pilate  unto  «^L 
them,  Take  ye  him,  and  judge  him  according  to  your 
Jaw."  (John  18:31) ;  "Gallic  said  unto  the  Jews,  If 
it  were  a  matter  of  wrong  or  wicked  lewdness,  0  ye 
Jews,  reason  would  that  I  should  bear  with  you :  but 
if  it  be  a  question  of  words  and  names,  and  of  your 
law,  look  ye  to  it;  for  I  will  be  no  judge  of  such 
"matters"  (Acts  18:14,  15).  The  chief  captain  of 

^^•^^•^^^^^^^^^  ,^ 

the  Roman  army  wWW  dl  Paul,  "Whom  I  perceived 
to   be   accused    of    questions   of   their   law"     (Acts 
23:20).     Paul     answered     for     himself:     "Neither 
against  the  law  of  the  Jews,  neither  against  the  tem- 
ple, nor  yet  against  Caesar,  have  I  offended  any  thing      x 
at  all"  (Acts  25:J3) ;  "But  this  cometh  to  pass,  that 
the  word  mTgEtTbe  fulfilled  that  is  written  in  their  v 
[not  your]  law"  (John  15:25). 
There  is  no  record  of  any  assumption  of  the  law 


/ 


on  the  part  of  Gentiles  before 
At  the  cross,  it  will  be  seen,  the  divine  application 
of  the  law  ceased  even  for  the  Jews,  and  all — Jew 
and  Gentile — were  shut  up  to  grace  alone;  but  the 
Jews,  because  of  unbelief,  still  persist  in  the  ob- 
servance of  the  law  which,  was  given  to  them  from 
God  by  the  hand  of  Moses;  while  Gentiles,  because 
of  failure  to  recognize  the  meaning  of  the  death 
of  Christ  and  the  essential  character  of  pure  grace, 
are  assuming  the  law  obligation.  This  many  are 
doing,  some  as  a  means  unto  justification  before  God, 
and  some  who  are  saved  by  faith  in  Christ,  as  a  rule 
;  of  life.  These  two  errors — that  of  the  Jew  and 
that  of  the  Gentile — are  clearly  set  forth  in  Scrip- 
ture. Of  Israel  it  is  said:  "But  even  unto  this 
day,  when  Moses  is  read,  the  vail  is  upon  their 
heart."  But  in  the  case  of  an  individual  Jew  re- 
ceiving Christ  it  is  said:  "Nevertheless  when  it 
[the  heart  of  a  Jew]  shall  turn  to  the  Lord,  the  vail 
shall  be  taken  away"  (2  Cor.  3: 15,  16). 

Turning  to  the  Gentiles,  there  are  two  aspects  of 
their  assumption  of  the  law:  (1)  With  reference  to 
the  certainty  of  divine  judgments  on  the  Gentiles  be- 
fore the  cross,  or  during  the  period  in  which  the  law 
was  divinely  imposed  on  Israel,  it  is  said:  "For 
as  many  as  have  sinned  without  law  shall  also  perish 
without  law."  Then  it  is  added  concerning  Israel, 
"And  as  many  as  have  sinned  in  the  law  shall 
be  judged  by  the  law"  (Rom.  2:12).  It  is  impos- 
sible that  this  Scripture  offers  an  optional  choice 
between  justification  by  the  law,  and  justification 
which  is  by  faith  alone ;  for  the  word  is  final  relative 
to  God's  dealing  in  this  age:  "By  the  deeds  of  the 


The  Life  under  Grace  221 

law  there  shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight" 
(Rom.  3:20).  Reference  here  is,  without  question, 
to  conditions  which  did  obtain  when  the  law  was  in 
force.  (2)  Regarding  assumption  of  the  law  by  Gen- 
tiles it  is  said :  ' '  For  when  the  Gentiles,  which  have 
not  the  law,  do  by  nature,  [practise]  the  things 
contained  in  the  law,  these,  having  not  the  law,  are 
a  law  unto  themselves:  which  shew  the  work  of  the 
law  written  in  their  hearts,  their  conscience  also  bear- 
ing witness,  and  their  thoughts  the  meanwhile  ac- 
cusing or  else  excusing  one  another"  (Rom.  2:14, 
15).  Thus  the  anticipation  of  assumption  of  the 
law  by  Gentiles  is  revealed,  and  the  precise  effect 
of  the  law  upon  them.  The  conscience  is  molded 
and  they  stand  before  a  self-imposed  condemnation. 
To  such  there  is  no  blessing.  All  that  the  legal 
conscience  can  do  is  to  accuse  or  excuse  for  failure. 
Let  it  never  be  supposed  that,  because  of  self-im- 
posed legality  and  misguided  conscience,  there  is 
any  divine  recognition  of  Gentiles  as  being  under  the 
law.  God  must  be  true  to  His  eternal  purpose  as 
revealed  in  His  Word,  and  men  stand,  or  fall,  be- 
fore Him  now  on  the  sole  basis  of  their  attitude  to- 
ward His  saving  grace  in  Christ.  Those  who  are  now 
lost  may  honestly  suppose  that  they  do  the  will  of 
God  in  perpetuating  the  principle  of  the  law  with 
its  blasting  curse ;  but  they  are  lost  notwithstanding, 
apart  from  Christ.  It  is  the  people  of  a  past  age 
who  will  be  judged  by  the  law.  The  Gentiles  who 
now  practise  the  things  contained  in  the  law  are  not 
said  to  be  subject  to  divine  judgment  because  of 
broken  law:  they  are,  by  that  self-imposed  law, 
either  self -accused,  or  self -excused,  according  as  they 


222  Grace 

have  created  a  conscience  in  regard  to  the  law. 
The  law  produces  the  effect  only  of  discomfort,  mis- 
direction, confusion,  and  limitation  of  their  own 
conscience. 

Before  turning  to  the  positive  teaching  of  the 
Scripture  relative  to  the  passing  of  the  law,  it  may 
be  important  to  restate  the  three  major  aspects  of 
the  law,  which  are  yet  to  be  considered  in  this  con- 
nection more  at  length: 

/    1.     Both  the  commandments  and  requirements  of 
I  the  Mosaic  system,  and  the  commandments  and  re- 
.     quirements  of  the  kingdom,  are  wholly  legal  in  their 
character,  and,  together,  comprise  the  written  state- 
ment of  the  law;  which  law,  it  will  be  seen,  is  set 
\    aside  during  the  present  reign  of  grace. 

2.  Every  human  work,  be  it  even  the  impossible, 
heaven-high  beseeching  of  grace,  which  is  wrought 
with  a  view  to  meriting  acceptance  with  God,  is  of 
the  nature  of  a  legal  covenant  of  works,  and,  there- 
fore, belongs  only  to  the  law.     Through  the  finished 
work  of  Christ,  acceptance  with  God  is  perfectly  se- 
cured; but  that  acceptance  can  be  experienced  only 
through   a  faith  which  turns  from   dependence  on 
merit,  and  rests  in  Christ  as  the  sufficient  Saviour. 
In  like  manner,  it  will  be  seen,  the  whole  proposi- 
tion of  legal,  meritorious  acceptance  with  God  has 
passed  during  the  reign  of  grace. 

3.  Again,  any  manner  of  life,  or  service,  which 
is  lived  in  dependence  on  the  flesh,  rather  than  in 
dependence  on  the  Spirit,  is  legal  in  character  and 
has  passed  during  the  present  period  in  which  grace 
reigns.     It  is  written:     "If  ye  be  led  of  the  Spirit, 
ye  are  not  under  the  law"   (Gal.  5:18).    The  law 


The  Life  under  Grace  223 

made  its  appeal  only  to  the  flesh,  and,  therefore,  to 
turn  to  the  flesh,  is  to  turn  to  the  sphere  of  the 
law. 

The  law,  though  wholly  superseded  by  grace,  may 
now  be  self-imposed.  This  may  be  done  by  turning 
for  a  rule  of  life  to  the  written  legal  code  of  Moses,  / 
or  of  the  kingdom;  it  may  be  done  by  turning  to  "^, 
self -works  as  the  basis  of  acceptance  with  God;  or  it 
may  be  done  by  depending  on  the  energy  of  the  flesh 
for  power  to  live  well-pleasing  to  God.  Self-im- 
posed law,  of  whatever  kind,  is  not  acceptable  to 
God ;  but  it,  like  all  human  sin,  may  be  chosen  by  the 
free  will  of  man,  and  may  be  practised  in  opposition 
to  the  revealed  will  of  God. 

In  view  of  the  positive  Biblical  statements  rela- 
tive to  the  passing  of  the  law,  question  may  be  raised 
as  to  the  meaning  of  certain  passages: 

Gal.  3:23.  "But  before  faith  came  we  were  kept 
under  the  law."  This  is  in  no  sense  the  present 
experience  of  the  unsaved  before  they  accept  Christ. 
The  Apostle  is  here  speaking  as  a  Jew,  and  of  those 
circumstances  which  could  have  existed  only  for  the 
Jew  of  the  early  church  who  had  lived  under  both 
the  dispensation  of  Moses,  and  the  dispensation  of 
grace.  Nevertheless,  in  the  wider  meaning  of  the  law 
before  stated,  all  humanity  was  delivered  by  the 
death  of  Christ  from  the  obligation  of  meritorious 
works,  and  from  the  necessity  of  depending  on  the 
flesh.  "For  as  many  as  are  of  the  works  of  the  law 
are  under  the  curse:  for  it  is  written,  Cursed  is  every 
one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things  which  are  writ- 
ten in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them  " ;  "  Christ  hath 
redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law";  "God  send- 


224  Grace 

ing  his  own  Son  .  .  .  condemned  in  sin  in  the  flesh : 
that  the  righteousness  of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in 
us"  (Gal.  3:10,  13;  Horn.  8:3,  4). 

1  Cor.  9 :  20.  The  Apostle  said  that  he  became  "to 
them  that  are  under  the  law,  as  under  the  law,  that 
I  might  gain  them  that  are  under  the  law."  This 
is  plainly  a  consideration  of  the  whole  class  of  people 
who  have  imposed  the  law  upon  themselves  in  any  as- 
pect of  the  law  whatsoever  (Note  Gal.  4:21). 

Rom.  4: 14.  "For  if  they  which  are  of  the  law  be 
heirs,  faith  is  made  void,  and  the  promise  made  of 
none  effect."  This  is  equally  true  of  all  humanity 
when  the  larger  aspects  of  the  law  are  in  view;  but, 
it  should  also  be  pointed  out  that,  the  age-long 
designation  of  the  Jews  as  being  "of  the  law,"  in 
contrast  to  Gentiles  to  whom  no  law  was  ever  given, 
still  obtained  in  the  early  church  (Cf  Rom.  2:23; 
4:16). 

Rom.  2: 13.  "For  not  the  hearers  of  the  law  are 
just  before  God,  but  the  doers  of  the  law  shall  be 
justified."  This  is  to  state  an  inherent  principle  of 
the  law.  It  was  an  absolute  covenant  of  works.  No 
one  is  now  to  be  justified  by  the  law  ( Cf  Rom.  3 :  20 ; 
Gal.  3:11).  Again,  "As  it  is  written.  For  cir- 
cumcision verily  profiteth,  if  thou  keep  the  law:  but 
if  thou  be  a  breaker  of  the  law,  thy  circumcision  is 
made  uncircumcision"  (Rom.  2:24,  25).  This,  like- 
wise, is  a  principle  which  belonged  to  the  law.  Fail- 
ure to  keep  the  law  was  a  discredit  to  God,  and  an 
insult  to  His  righteousness  (Cf  Isa.  52:5).  The 
same  principle  is  a  warning  to  all  who  attempt,  or 
even  contemplate,  the  keeping  of  the  law  (See,  also 
Jas.  2:10). 


The  Life  under  Grace  225 

Rom.  3:31.  "Do  we  then  make  void  the  law 
through  faith?  God  forbid:  yea,  we  establish  the 
law."  The  law  has  never  been  kept  by  those  who 
tried  to  keep  it.  It  is  kept,  however,  by  those  who 
humbly  acknowledge  their  helplessness  to  do  any- 
thing well-pleasing  to  God,  and  who  turn  and  find 
shelter  in  Christ  who  has  met  every  demand  of  the 
law  for  them.  Such,  and  only  such  have  ever  vin- 
dicated the  holy  law  of  God.  The  people  who  attempt 
to  keep  the  law  have  always  outraged  the  law. 

Rom.  7:16.  "If  then  I  do  that  which  I  would 
not,  I  consent  unto  the  law  that  it  is  good."  The 
use  of  the  word  "law"  throughout  this  whole  context 
(7: 15  to  8 : 13)  is  clearly  of  the  wider  sphere  of  the 
whole  will  of  God,  rather  than  the  limited  command- 
ments of  Moses.  Not  once  is  Moses  mentioned;  but 
"the  law  of  God"  is  three  times  referred  to  (7:22, 
25;  8:7).  v 

The  complete  passing,  through  the  death  of  Christ, 
of  the  reign  of  the  Mosaic  law,  even  for  Israel,  is  the 
extended  testimony  of  Scripture.    A  few  important 
passages  which  declare  the  fact  of  the  passing  of/ 
the  law  are  her  given: 

John  1:16,  17.  "And  of  his  fulness  have  all  we 
received,  and  grace  for  [added  to]  grace.  For  the 
law  was  given  by  Moses,  but  grace  and  truth  came 
by  Jesus  Christ."  According  to  this  passage,  the 
whole  Mosaic  system  was  fulfilled,  superseded,  and 
terminated  in  the  first  advent  of  Christ. 

Gal.  3:19-25.  "Wherefore  then  serveth  the  law? 
It  was  added  because  of  transgressions,  till  the  seed 
should  come  to  whom  the  promise  was  made  .  .  .  that 
the  promise  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  might  be  given 


226  Grace 

o  them  that  believe.  But  before  faith  came,  we 
[Jews]  were  kept  under  the  law,  shut  up  unto  the 
faith  which  should  afterward  be  revealed.  Where- 
fore the  law  was  our  schoolmaster  [child-conductor] 
to  bring  us  unto  Christ,  that  we  might  be  justified 
by  faith.  But  after  that  faith  is  come,  we  [Jews] 
are  no  longer  under  a  schoolmaster"  (the  law). 
Comment  is  unnecessary  concerning  this  uncondi- 
tional declaration  as  to  the  passing  of  the  Mosaic 
system. 

Rom.  6 : 14.  "For  sin  shall  not  have  dominion  over 
you:  for  ye  are  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace." 
While  the  direct  message  of  this  passage  is  of  the  en- 
ablemen,t  that  is  provided  for  the  life  under  grace, 
which  was  never  provided  under  the  law,  the  pos- 
itive statement  is  made,  "Ye  are  not  under  the  law." 
Rom.  7 :  2-6.  "For  the  woman  which  hath  an  hus- 
band is  bound  by  the  law  to  her  husband  so  long  as 
'he  liveth;  but  if  the  husband  be  dead,  she  is  loosed 

rom  the  law  of  her  husband.  So  then  if,  while  her 
husband  liveth,  she  be  married  to  another  man,  she 
shall  be  called  an  adulteress:  but  if  her  husband 
be  dead,  she  is  free  from  that  law;  so  that  she  is  no 
adulteress,  though  she  be  married  to  another  man. 
Wherefore,  my  brethren,  ye  also  are  become  dead  to 
the  law  by  the  body  of  Christ;  that  ye  should  be 
married  to  another,  even  to  him  who  is  raised  from 
the  dead,  that  we  should  bring  forth  fruit  unto  God. 
For  when  we  were  in  the  flesh,  the  motions  of  sins, 
which  were  by  the  law,  did  work  in*l>ur"meIntieTs^to 
bring  forth  fruit  unto  death.  But  now  we  are  de- 
livered from  the  law,  that  being  dead  wherein  we 


The  Life  under  Grace 


227 


were  held ;  that  we  should  serve  in  newness  of  spirit 
[Spirit],  and  not  in  the  oldness  of  the  letter." 

Several  important  revelations  are  given  in  this 
passage.  The  relation  of  one  who  had  been  under 
the  law  (which  was  true  of  the  Apostle  Paul)  to 
the  teachings  of  grace  was  that  of  a  wife  to  her  second 
husband.  The  law,  or  obligation,  of  the  wife  to  her 
husband  ceases  with  his  death.  Should  she  be  married 
to  a  second  husband,  she  is  then  under  an  entirely 
new  obligation.  The  sacrificial  death  of  Christ  was 
the  ending  of  the  reign  of  the  law,  which  law  is  lik- 
ened to  the  first  husband.  "  Wherefore,  my  breth- 
ren, ye  also  are  become  dead  to  the  law  by  the  body  of 
Christ;  that  ye  should  be  married  to  another,  even 
to  him  who  is  raised  from  the  dead."  Nothing 
could  be  clearer  than  this.  The  Christian  is  now 
under  obligation  to  Christ.  He  is  "inlawed"  to 
Christ.  He  has  only  to  fulfil  "the  law  of  Christ." 
Certainly  it  is  most  unreasonable  to  propose  that  a 
woman  should  try  to  be  obligated  to  two  husbands  at 
the  same  time:  yet  this  is  the  divine  illustration  of 
the  error  of  co-mingling  the  teachings  of  law  and  the 
teachings  of  grace.  Spiritual  polyandry  is  offensive 
to  God. 

In  the  new  union  which  is  formed  with  Christ, 
there  is  to  be  the  bringing  forth  of  fruit  unto  God. 
This  is  a  reference  to  the  fact  that  the  Christian's 
life  and  service  is  to  be  enabled  by  the  power  of  God 
and  therefore  is  superhuman.  The  Christian,  it  is 
clearly  stated,  is  not  only  "dead  to  the  law,"  but  is 
"delivered  from  the  law,"  and  every  aspect  of  the 
law,  that  he  should  serve  in  "the  newness  of  the 


228  Grace 

Spirit";  for  the  teachings  of  grace  are  particularly 
characterized  by  the  fact  that  they  are  to  be  wrought 
by  the  enabling  power  of  the  Spirit.  The  Christian 
is  not  to  live  and  serve  in  ' '  the  oldness  of  the  letter, ' ' 
which  is  the  law.  It  is  by  vital  union  in  the  body 
of  Christ  as  a  living  member  that  the  believer  is  both 
absolved  from  every  other  relationship,  and  is  made 
to  be  centered  only  in  that  which  belongs  to  the  living 
Head.  Thus  positively  is  it  indicated  that  the  oppos- 
ing principles  of  law  and  grace  cannot  co-exist  as 
rules  of  conduct. 

2  Cor.  3:7-13.  "But  if  the  ministration  of 
death,  written  and  engraven  in  stones,  was  glorious, 

•••IMMt^^P^g^^MHMW^^—l—^* 

so  that  the  children  of  Israel  couldiiot  steadfastly 
behold  the  face  of  Moses  for  the  glory  of  his  coun- 
tenance ;  which  glory  was  to  be  done  away :  how  shall 
not  the  ministration  of  the  spirit  [Spirit]  be  rather 
glorious?  For  if  the  ministration  of  condemnation 
be  glory,  much  more  doth  the  ministration  of  right- 
eousness exceed  in  glory.  For  even  that  which  was 
made  glorious  had  no  glory  in  this  respect,  by  rea- 
son of  the  glory  that  excelleth.  For  if  that  which 
is  done  away  was  glorious,  much  more  that  which  re- 
maineth  is  glorious.  Seeing  then  that  we  have  such 
hope,  we  use  great  plainness  of  speech:  and  not  as 
Moses,  which  put  a  vail  over  his  face,  that  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  could  not  steadfastly  look  to  the  end  of 
that  which  is  abolished." 

It  is  the  law  as  crystallized  in  the  Ten  Command- 
ments which  is  in  view;  for  that  law  alone  was 
"written  and  engraven  in  stones."  In  the  midst 
of  the  strongest  possible  contrasts  between  the  reign 
of  the  teachings  of  the  law  and  the  teachings  of 


The  Life  under  Grace  229 

grace,  it  is  declared  that  these  commandments  were 
''done  away,"  and  "abolished."  It  should  be  rec- 
ognized that  the  old  was  abolished  to  make  place 
for  the  new,  which  far  excels  in  glory.  The  passing 
of  the  law  is  not,  therefore,  a  loss;  it  is  rather  an 
inestimable  gain.  The  striking  contrasts  which  are 
presented  in '"this  whole  context  are  here  arranged  in 
parallels : 

The  Teachings  of  the  Law  The  Teachings  of  Grace 

1.  Written  with   ink.  1.  Written  with  the  Spirit  of 

the    living    God. 

2.  In  tables  of  stone.  2.  In    fleshy    tables    of    the 

heart. 

3.  The   letter  killeth.  3.  The  Spirit  'giveth  life. 

4.  The  ministration  of  death.      4.  The    ministration    of    the 

Spirit. 

5.  Was  glorious.  5.  Is  rather  glorious. 

6.  Done    away.  6.  Remaineth. 

7.  Abolished.  7.  We  have  such  hope. 

Gal.  5:  18.  "But  if  ye  be  led  of  the  Spirit,  ye  are 
not  under  the  law."  There  is  no  place  left  for  the 
law,  and  hence  no  occasion  for  its  recognition.  To 
be  led  of  the  Spirit  is  to  realize  a  manner  of  life 
which  surpasses  and  more  than  fulfills  every  ideal  of 
the  law. 

, "  Eph.  2 : 15.  "Having  abolished  in  his  flesh  the  en- 
mity, even  the  law  of  commandments  contained  in  or- 

\dinances." 

Col.  2:14.  "Blotting  out  the  handwriting  of 
ordinances  that  was  against  us,  -which  was  contrary 
to  us,  and  took  it  out  of  the  way,  nailing  it  to  his 
cross. ' ' 

'John  15 : 25.  ' '  But  this  cometh  to  pass,  that  the 
word  might  be  fulfilled  that  is  written  in  their  law. ' ' 
This  one  and  only  reference  in  the  upper-room  dis- 


230  Grace 

course  to  the  law  of  Moses  is  most  significant.  As 
has  been  shown,  Christ,  in  this  discourse,  has  taken 
His  followers  beyond  the  cross  and  is  unfolding  to 
them  the  very  foundations  of  the  new  teachings  of 
grace.  These  men  were  Jews;  but  in  this  teaching 
Christ  does  not  speak  to  them  as  though  the  law  of 
Moses  was  binding  on  them.  He  says  "their  law"; 
not  "your  law,"  thus  indicating  that  these  Jews  who 
had  come  under  grace  were  no  longer  under  the 
reign  of  the  law  of  Moses. 

By  this  Scripture  not  only  is  the  whole  law  sys- 
tem definitely  declared  to  be  done  away  during  the 
dispensation  of  grace;  but  it  is  noticeable  that  the 
law,  as  law,  is  never  once  applied  to  the  believer  as  the 
regulating  principle  of  his  life  under  grace.  This 
is  not  an  accidental  omission;  it  is  the  expression  of 
the  mind  and  will  of  God. 

Thus  it  may  be  concluded  that  the  written  law  of 
Moses  is  not  intended  to  be  the  rule  of  the  believer's 
life  under  grace.  Yet,  on  the  other  hand,  the  abid- 
ing principles  of  the  law  which  are  adaptable  to 
grace,  are  carried  forward  and  restated  under  the 
teachings  of  grace;  not  as  law,  but  reformed  to  the 
mold  of  infinite  grace.  This  great  fact  is  aptly  il- 
lustrated by  the  experience  of  an  American  citizen 
who  was  in  Germany  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  re- 
cent war.  Fleeing  through  Holland,  he  reached 
England  with  his  pocket  filled  with  German  gold 
coin.  This  coin,  bearing  the  German  stamp,  was  of 
no  value  as  currency  in  England;  but,  when  melted 
and  restamped  in  the  mints  of  England,  it  bore  all 
the  value  of  coin  in  that  realm.  Thus  the  intrin- 
sic value  of  the  gold  of  the  law  is  preserved  and  re- 


(J 

u 


The  Life  under  Grace  231 

appears  bearing  the  stamp  of  the  new  teachings  of 
grace. 

In  applying  the  teachings  of  grace  it  is  legitimate 
to  point  out  that  a  similar  principle  obtained  under 
the  law  of  Moses,  thus  to  demonstrate  that  the  pre- 
cept in  question  represents  the  unchangeable  char- 
acter of  God;  but  it  is  both  unscriptural  and  un- 
reasonable to  apply  the  teachings  of  the  Mosaic  sys- 
tem directly  to  the  children  of  grace.  Since  both 
the  law  of  Moses  and  the  teachings  of  grace  are  com- 
plete in  themselves,  neither  one  requires  the  ad- 
dition of  the  other,  and  to  combine  them  is  to  sac- 
rifice all  that  is  vital  in  each.  Great  importance 
should  be  given  therefore  to  the  positive,  unvarying 
message  to  the  believer  which  is  stated  in  the  words, 
"Ye  are  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace." 

Second.     The  Error  of  Co-mingling  the  Law  of 

the  Kingdom  with  the  Teachings  of  Grace. 

^. 

If  it  be  accepted  that  the  Messianic,  earthly  king- 
dom, with  Israel  restored  to  her  land  in  the  full 
realization  of  all  her  covenants,  under  the  reign  of 
Christ  sitting  on  the  throne  of  David,  has  not  been 
established,  and  there  is  now  no  semblance  in  the 
light  of  present  world  conditions  of  that  kingdom 
on  earth,  then  it  follows  that  the  laws  and  principles 
which  are  to  govern  in  the  kingdom,  and  which  could 
apply  only  to  conditions  within  that  kingdom,  are 
not  yet  applied  by  God  to  the  affairs  of  men  in  the 
earth.  It  is  not  a  question,  as  in  the  case  of  the  law 
of  Moses,  of  discontinuing  that  which  has  once  been  in 
force  under  the  sanction  of  God ;  it  is  rather  a  ques- 
tion as  to  whether  the  kingdom  laws,  which  have  their 


232  Grace 

application  of  necessity  in  the  future  earthly  king- 
dom of  Messiah,  should  be  imposed  now  on  the  chil- 
dren of  God  under  grace.  Definite  proofs  are  needed 
to  establish  the  fact  that  there  are  kingdom  laws  pre- 
sented in  the  Scriptures.  These  proofs  have  already 
been  offered.  Having  granted  that  the  kingdom  laws 
are  found  in  the  Scriptures,  should  they  be  consid- 
ered as  any  part  of  the  divine  instruction  now  gov- 
erning the  daily  life  of  the  Christian?  Certainly  it 
is  no  more  difficult  to  believe  that  Scripture  reveals 
a  rule  of  life  which  is  not  yet  in  force  because  be- 
longing to  a  yet  future  age,  than  it  is  to  believe  that 
Scripture  reveals  a  rule  of  life  which  is  not  now  in 
force  because  belonging  to  an  age  which  is  wholly 
past.  In  considering  the  question  as  to  whether 
the  laws  of  the  kingdom  are  to  be  applied  to  the 
Christian  in  this  age,  the  fact  that  there  is  a  com- 
plete system  of  kingdom  ruling,  and  that  this  ruling 
is  strictly  legal  in  its  character,  is  assumed  on  the 
basis  of  proofs  already  given.  Certain  vital  issues, 
though  already  mentioned,  should  not  be  forgotten  at 
this  point: 

1.  The  two  systems  cannot  co-exist. 

The  laws  of  the  kingdom,  being  legal  in  their  char- 
acter, introduce  those  principles  of  relationships  to 
God  which  can  never  co-exist  with  the  relationships 
which  obtain  under  grace.  By  such  co-mingling  of 
opposing  principles,  all  that  is  vital  in  each  system 
is  sacrificed.  On  the  one  hand,  the  sharp  edge  of 
the  law,  which  constitutes  its  sole  effectiveness,  is 
dulled  by  an  admixture  of  supposed  divine  leniency ; 
on  the  other  hand,  the  truth  concerning  the  absolute 


The  Life  under  Grace  233 

graciousness  of  God  is  corrupted  by  being  commer- 
cialized, conditioned  on  the  merit  of  man,  and  made 
subject  to  the  persuasion  of  man.  The  principle 
of  pure  grace  demands  that  God  shall  in  no  wise 
recognize  human  merit,  and  that  He  invariably 
shall  be  graciously  disposed  toward  man,  and  there- 
fore needing  at  no  time  to  be  persuaded  by  man. 
God  is  never  reluctant  in  the  exercise  of  grace:  in- 
stead, He  seeks,  draws,  and  entreats  man.  The  prin- 
ciples of  law  and  grace  are  mutually  destructive,  and 
doctrinal  confusion  follows  the  intrusion  of  any 
legal  principle  into  the  reign  of  grace.  When  law 
is  thus  intruded,  not  only  is  the  clear  responsibility 
of  the  believer  under  grace  obscured,  but  the  price- 
less attitude  of  God  in  grace,  which  He  purchased 
at  the  infinite  cost  of  the  death  of  His  Son,  is 
wholly  misrepresented. 

Since  the  kingdom  rule  is  purely  legal,  and  since 
the  believer  is  not  under  law,  it  follows  that  he  is 
not  under  the  injunctions  of  the  kingdom. 

2.     It  is  not  necessary  to  combine  them. 

The  laws  of  the  kingdom  are  not  required  to  be 
combined  with  the  teachings  of  grace,  since  every 
item  within  those  laws,  which  could  have  any  present 
application,  is  exactly  and  amply  stated  in  the  teach- 
ings of  grace.  It  is  not  necessary,  then,  for  the  be- 
liever to  assume  any  law  obligation  whatsoever. 

When  it  is  shown  by  Scriptural  exposition  that 
the  laws  of  the  kingdom  are  not  applicable  to  the 
Christian  under  grace,  ^apposition  is  sometimes 
aroused  which  is  based  on  wrong  personal  training, 
habits  of  misinterpretation,  and  prejudice.  The  coet 


234  Grace 

of  unteachableness  should  be  weighed  with  much 
care;  for  the  sacrifice  of  the  liberty  and  blessing 
which  belongs  to  uncomplicated  grace  is  a  loss  too 
great  for  computation.  By  the  right  division  of 
the  Scriptures,  the  truth  will  be  clearly  seen  that 
grace  reigns  uncomplicated  and  undiminished  by 
law. 

The  kingdom  law  is  a  complete  and  indivisible 
system  in  itself.  It  is  therefore  unscriptural,  il- 
logical, and  unreasonable  to  appropriate  convenient 
and  pleasing  portions  of  this  law,  and  to  neglect 
the  remainder.  It  should  be  considered  that,  as  in 
the  Mosaic  system,  to  adopt  some  portions  of  the  law 
is  to  be  committed  logically  to  all  its  teachings. 
"For  Moses  describeth  the  righteousness  which  is  of 
the  law,  That  the  man  which  doeth  those  things  shall 
live  by  them " ;  "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth 
not  in  all  things  which  are  written  in  the  book  of 
the  law  to  do  them";  ''And  the  law  is  not  of  faith: 
but,  The  man  that  doeth  them  shall  live  in  them" 
(Rom.  10 :  5 ;  Gal.  3 : 10,  12.  Cf  Lev.  18 :  5)  ;  "Now 
we  know  that  what  things  soever  the  law  saith,  it 
saith  to  them  who  are  under  the  law"  (Rom.  3: 19) ; 
'  "For  I  testify  again  to  every  man  that  is  circumcised, 
that  he  is  a  debtor  to  do  the  whole  law"  (Gal.  5:3). 
Not  only  are  some  aspects  of  the  kingdom  law  never 
attempted  by  Christians  (Cf  Mt.  5 : 42) ;  but  its  whole 
character,  being  legal,  is  opposed  to  grace. 

The  law  of  Moses  is  interrelated  and  wholly  depend- 
ent on  the  sacrifices  and  ritual  provided  for  Israel 
in  the  land.  The  laws  of  the  kingdom  are  only  re- 
lated to  the  yet  future  kingdom  conditions  which 
shall  be  in  the  earth  under  the  power  and  presence  of 


The  Life  under  Grace  235 

the  King  when  Satan  is  bound,  creation  delivered, 
and  all  shall  know  the  Lord  from  the  least  unto  the 
greatest.  All  harmony  of  truth  is  shattered  when 
there  is  the  slightest  co-mingling  of  the  principles 
of  law  and  grace.  Grace  alone  now  reigns  through 
Christ  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father,  the  'Son,  and 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

H.  THE  LAW  COVENANT  OF  WORKS,  IN  ALL  OF  ITS 
APPLICATION,  WHICH  CONDITIONS  BLESSING  AND  AC- 
CEPTANCE WITH  GOD  ON  PERSONAL  MERIT,  IS  DONE 
AWAY. 

Under  this  conception  of  law,  its  scope  is  extended 
beyond  the  actual  writings  of  the  Mosaic  system  and 
the  law  of  the  kingdom,  and  includes,  as  well,  any 
human  action,  whether  in  conformity  to  a  precept  of 
Scripture  or  not,  which  is  attempted  with  a  view  to 
securing  favor  with  God.  The  law  formula  is,  "If 
you  will  do  good,  I  will  bless  you."  It  matters 
nothing  what  is  undertaken  as  an  obligation.  It  may 
be  the  highest  ideal  of  heavenly  conduct  belonging 
to  the  teachings  of  grace,  or  it  may  be  the  simplest 
choice  of  moral  action  in  daily  life;  but  if  it  is  at- 
tempted with  a  view  to  securing  favor  with  God, 
such  relationship  to  God  is  self-imposed,  since  it 
ignores  His  attitude  of  grace,  and  such  attempt  is 
purely  legal  in  character  and  result.  Let  it  be  re- 
stated that  the  basic  principle  of  grace  is  the  fact 
that  all  blessings  originate  with  God,  and  are  of- 
fered to  man  graciously.  The  formula  of  grace  is, 
tfl  have  blessed  you,  therefore  be  good."  Thus  it 
is  revealed  that  the  motive  for  right  conduct  under 


236  Grace 

grace  is  not  to  secure  the  favor  of  God,  which  already 
exists  toward  saved  and  unsaved  to  an  infinite  de- 
gree through  Christ;  it  is  rather  a  matter  of  consis- 
tent action  in  view  of  such  divine  grace.  The  un- 
saved are  not  urged  to  secure  salvation  by  meritor- 
ious conduct,  or  even  to  influence  God  in  their  be- 
half by  asking  for  salvation.  Since  God  is  revealed 
as  standing  with  out-stretched  hands,  offering  His 
greatest  possible  blessings  in  grace,  and  is  moved  to 
do  so  by  His  unchanging,  infinite  love,  it  illy  becomes 
a  sinner  to  fall  before  Him  in  an  attitude  of  coaxing 
and  beseeching,  as  though  he  were  hoping  "to  move 
God  to  be  merciful  and  gooji.  The  message  of  grace 
is:  "But  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he 
the  power  [right]  to  become  the  sons  of  God" 
(John  1:12).  The  eternal  saving  grace  of  God  is 
offered  to  all  who  willfoUeve.  Moreover,  the  saved 
do  not  return  to  divine  fellowship  after  a  relapse  into 
sin  because  they  plead  for  divine  forgiveness;  their 

•  • 

restoration  is  conditional  on  confession.  They  do 
not  abide  in  divine  fellowship  because  they  seek,  or 
merit,  the  light;  they  are  istructed  to  "walk  in  the 
light"  which  is  all  theirs  through  riches  of  grace. 
In  no  case  are  divine  blessings  to  be  secured  by 
human  merit,  or  by  pleading;  they  await  the  faith 
that  will  appropriate  them.  Every  gift  of  divine 
love  is  provided  and  bestowed  in  pure  grace;  and 
not  of  necessity,  nor  as  a  payment,  nor  a  recognition 
of  human  merit.  Such  lavishings  of  grace  create 
a  superhuman  obligation  for  that  manner  of  life 
which  is  consistent  with  the  heavenly  blessing  and 
position  which  grace  bestows ;  but  the  heavenly  bless- 


The  Life  under  Grace  237 

ing  and  position  is  never  earned  by  even  a  super- 
human manner  of  life. 

The  determining  character  of  pure  law  is  seen  in 
the  fact  that  it  is  a  covenant  of  works  wherein  the 
divine  blessing  is  conditioned  on  human  merit.  No 
semblance  of  this  principle  is  to  be  found  under 
grace,  except  that  rewards  are  to  be  bestowed  for 
faithful  service  upon  those  who  have  already  entered 
into  every  present  position  and  possession  provided 
in  grace.  It  therefore  follows  that,  not  only  the  writ- 
ten rules  of  the  law,  but  the  very  principle  of  the 
law  covenant  of  works,  has  been  done  away  in  this 
age  of  grace. 


IH.  THE  LAW  PRINCIPLE  OF  DEPENDENCE  ON  THE  EN- 
ERGY OF  THE  FLESH,  IN  PLACE  OF  THE  GRACE  PRINCIPLE 
OF  DEPENDENCE  ON  THE  POWER  OF  THE  INDWELLING 
SPIRIT,  IS  DONE  AWAY. 

The  third  and  last  major  distinction  between  law 
and  grace  is  seen  in  the  attitude  of  heart-dependence 
which  is  maintained  in  view  of  any  and  all  obliga- 
tion toward  God.  The  law,  being  a  covenant  of 
works  and  providing  no  enablement,  addressed  itself 
to  the  limitations  of  the  natural  man.  No  more  was 
expected  or  secured  in  return  to  its  commands 
than  the  natural  man  in  his  environment  could 
produce.  The  requirements  under  the  law  are, 
therefore,  on  the  plane  of  the  limited  ability  of 
the  flesh.  On  the  other  hand,  grace,  being  a  coven- 
ant of  faith,  and  providing  the  limitless  enablement 
of  the  power  of  the  indwelling  Spirit,  addresses  it- 


238  Grace 

self  to  the  unlimited  resources  of  the  supernatural 
man.  The  requirements  to  be  met  under  grace  are, 
therefore,  on  the  plane  of  the  unlimited  ability  of  the 
Spirit.  There  is  no  divine  injunction  addressed  to 
the  unregenerate  concerning  his  daily  life.  The  Gos- 
pel of  the  saving  grace  of  God  alone  is  offered  to  him. 
The  only  divine  injunctions  now  in  force  in  the  world 
are  addressed  to  those  who  are  saved,  and  these 
heaven-high  standards  are  to  be  realized  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  faith  toward  the  sufficiency  of  the  indwell- 
ing Spirit,  and  never  by  dependence  on  the  energy 
of  the  flesh. 

Thus,  it  may  be  seen,  that  any  aspect  of  life,  or  con- 
duct, which  is  undertaken  in  dependence  on  the  en- 
ergy and  ability  of  the  flesh  is,  to  that  extent,  purely 
legal  in  its  character;  whether  it  be  the  whole  re- 
vealed will  of  God,  the  actual  written  commandments 
contained  in  the  law,  the  exhortations  of  grace,  or 
any  activity  whatsoever  in  which  the  believer  may 
engage.  Dependence  on  the  arm  of  the  flesh  is  con- 
sistent only  with  pure  law ;  dependence  on  the  power 
of  God  is  demanded  under  pure  grace.  Since  there 
is  no  provision  for  the  flesh  in  the  plan  of  God  for 
a  life  under  grace,  the  law  is  done  away. 

IV.    JUDAISM    IS  DONE  AWAY. 

It  is  often  inferred  that  Christianity  is  an  out- 
growth or  product  of  Judaism.    In  reality  these  two 
.     systems  are  as  independent  of  each  other  as  the  two 
-'  opposing  principles  of  law  and  grace.    Being  thus 
so  widely  different  in  their  essential  elements,  they 
are,  like  the  principles  which  they  embody,  as  far 


The  Life  under  Grace  239 

removed  the  one  from  the  other  as  heaven  is  higher 
than  the  earth.  One  is  of  the  earth,  the  old  creation, 
and  the  flesh ;  the  other  is  of  heaven,  of  the  new  crea- 
tion, and  the  Spirit.  As  there  are  elements  and 
threads  of  truth  -which  run  throughout  tho  entire 
Bible,  so  certain  features^  which  belong  to  Judaism 
are  seen  to  reappear  in  Christianity;  but  this  ob- 
vious fact  should  not  be  made  the  basis  of  a  supposi- 
tion that  these  systems  are  the  same,  or  that  one  was 
merged  into  the  other.  God,  holiness,  Satan,  man, 
sin,  redemption,  and  the  issues  of  eternity,  are  not 
only  relevant  facts  of  both  Judaism  and  Christianity, 
but  they  are  essential  facts  of  all  time,  from  its  be- 
ginning to  its  end.  It  is  true  that  the  same  God  is 
the  God  of  the  Gentile  as  well  as  of  the  Jew,  and 
that  the  Jew  anticipated  the  value  of  Christ's  death 
by  sacrifices,  as  we  realize  the  value  of  His  death 
through  faith;  but  it  does  not  therefore  follow  that 
God's  purposes  and  ways  are  the  same  with  Israel 
as  with  the  Church. 

When  these  two  systems  are  confused,  it  is  because 
the  differentiating  essentials  which  constitute  the 
Jewish  religion  and  Christianity  are  ignored. 

First.  Considering  Them  as  Rules  of  Life. 

The  Old  Testament  system  of  law  is  absolutely  su- 
perseded by  the  new  system  under  grace.  Christians 
are  not  under  law  either  for  justification  or  for  sanc- 
tification.  When  Christ  said,  "I  came  not  to  de- 
stroy, but  to  fulfil,"  and  that  nothing  should  pass 
from  the  law  until  all  was  fulfilled  (Mt.  5:17,  18), 
He  was  dealing  with  Israel  while  Judaism  was  still 
in  force,  and  anticipating  the  Messianic  Kingdom 


240  Grace 

which,  it  is  revealed,  will  be  purely  legal  in  its  char- 
acter. 

Second.  Considering  Them  under  Their  Respective 
Aspects. 

In  the  matter  of  service,  there  is  nothing  but  con- 
trast between  Judaism  and  Christianity.  Israel,  un- 
der Judaism,  went  in  to  perform  a  sacrifice;  we  go 
out  to  proclaim  a  sacrifice.  Judaism  had  its  ritual, 
its  forms,  and  its  ceremonies  which  were  typical. 
Christianity  could  incorporate  none  of  these  since 
it  provides  a  living  union  to  Christ  who  is  Substance 
and  Antitype  of  all  that  Judaism  prefigured. 

Third.  Considering  Them  in  Respect  to  Personal 
Relationship  to  God. 

Under  Judaism,  the  nation  was  related  to  Him  by 
the  covenant  of  Sinai,  the  Abrahamic  covenant  being 
temporarily  set  aside  until  Christ  should  come  (Gal. 
3:19),  and  individual  Israelites  were  spiritually  re- 
newed through  their  personal  faith,  though  the  ex- 
act character  of  their  salvation  is  not  revealed.  But, 
under  grace,  all  the  positions  and  possessions  of  the 
believer  in  relation  to  God  transcend  the  earthly 
promises  of  Israel. 

The  message  of  Ephesians  2 : 18  to  3 : 10  does  not 
teach  that  the  Church  is  being  built  on  the  prophets 
of  the  Old  Testament;  reference  is  only  to  the 
prophets  and  apostles  of  the  New  Testament  (Cf  4: 
11).  In  like  manner,  the  "mystery"  (3:6)  is  the 
formation  of  a  new  humanity — the  Church — out  of 
both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  not  a  combining  of  Old 
Testament  saints  with  New  Testament  saints.  The 


The  Life  under  Grace  241 

theological  term,  The  Old  Testament  Church,  has  no 
Scriptural  warrant  (Acts  7:  38  is  no  exception,  being 
merely  a  reference  to  an  assembly  of  people).  The 
true  Church  began  at  Pentecost,  and  was  made  pos- 
sible through  the  new  outflow  of  grace  in  Christ 
Jesus, — by  His  death,  resurrection,  and  ascension, — 
and  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Similarly,  Gen- 
tile branches  are  not  grafted  into  Judaism,  but  into 
Christ  (Rom.  11: 17).  He  is  the  Vine. 

Judaism  speaks  of  an  earthly  people  and  an  earthly 
walk  in  the  flesh.  Christianity  speaks  of  a  heavenly 
people  and  of  a  heavenly  walk  in  the  Spirit.  Since 
one  is  of  the  old  creation,  its  people  are  under  the 
curse  of  the  First  Adam,  and  its  history  closes  in 
failure.  Since  the  other  is  of  the  new  creation,  its 
people  are  ensphered  in  the  resurrected  Christ,  and 
its  history  will  be  the  consummation  of  the  glory  of 
divine  grace.  Christianity  is  indebted  to  Israel  for 
the  humanity  of  Christ  and  for  the  Oracles  of  Godj 
but  Israel,  the  people,  must  be  distiuguisned.  from 

N^Tudaism,  the  law  system.  Israel  abides  to  the  pres- 
ent hour,  while  Judaism,  so  far  as  divine  recogni- 

,  tion  goes,  ceased  with  the  death  of  Christ.  Israel, 
like  all  the  nations,  was,  as  a  whole,  in  Adam,  lost 
and  undone.  While  for  Israel  there  was  healing 
for  sin  and  mercy  from  God,  no  one  under  Judaism 
had  any  clear  vision  or  revelation  of  the  new  life  and 
relationship  under  grace,  which  more  than  all  else 
distinguishes  Christianity. 

The  new  life  and  relationship  which  characterizes 
Christianity  is  Christ  as  the  sphere  of  the  new  crea- 
tion. CHRISTIANITY  is  CHRIST.  It  is  the  unlim- 
ited, unrestrained  love  of  God  in  Christ  and  its 


242  Grace 

final  result  will  be  the  unveiling  of  the  glory  of  His 
grace  in  the  ages  to  come.  Judaism,  through  the 
nation  Israel,  purposed  the  highest  glory  in  the  earth. 
Christianity,  through  the  Church,  purposes  the  high- 
est glory  in  heaven.  One  is  of  the  "first  man"  who 
is  "of  the  earth,  earthy."  The  other  is  of  the  second 
Man,  who  is  "the  Lord  from  heaven." 

Judaism  was  based  on  the  law  and,  like  the  law, 
applied  only  to  Israel  and  passed  out  of  force  with 
the  death  of  Christ.  So,  likewise,  Israel  alone  was 
delivered  from  the  written  commandments  of  Moses 
through  the  death  of  Christ.  However,  both  Jew 
and  Gentile  were  delivered  by  that  death  from  the 
hopeless  principle  of  human  merit,  and  from  the 
useless  struggle  of  the  flesh. 

The  exalted  quality  of  the  law  is  never  questioned. 
It  is  the  expression  of  the  very  character  of  God. 
"Wherefore  the  law  is  holy,  and  the  COfflfflfthament 
holy,  and  just,  and  good"  (Rom.  7:12).  The  law 
did  not  die;  it  was  a  race  that  died  unto  the  law  in 
Christ  the  Substitute.  The  holy  demands  of  infinite 
righteousness  can  never  change  or  pass  away;  but 
man  may  be  changed  in  his  exact  responsibility  to 
God  and  to  certain  particulars  of  His  holy  demands. 

The  sanctity  of  the  law  is  never  preserved  by  those 
who  attempt  to  keep  it.  The  holy  will  of  God  was 
never  wrought  by  any  person  other  than  Christ.  The 
effort  of  man  has  universally  failed.  The  supposi- 
tion that  God  will  be  pleased  and  honored  by  any 
fleshly  attempt  to  do  His  will,  is  a  delusion  as  old  as 
the  race.  Those  who  try  to  keep  the  law,  or  try 
by  their  own  effort  to  do  the  whole  will  of  God,  out- 
rage the  law  at  every  step  by  their  absolute  failure." 


The  Life  under  Grace  243 

On  the  other  hand,  those  who,  in  recognition  of  the 
righteous  character  of  the  law,  bow  before  those  holy 
demands,  acknowledging  their  utter  failure  and  in- 
ability to  fulfil  them,  and  who  flee  to  Christ  that 
they  may  stand  in  His  redemption  and  partake  of 
the  very  righteousness  of  God  in  Him  and  be  shel- 
tered under  the  cross  whereon  He  met  every  de- 
mand of  the  law  for  them,  are  the  only  ones  who 
really  uphold  the  law,  or  keep  it.  ''Do  we  then  make 
void  the  law  through  faith  ?  God  forbid :  yea,  we  es- 
tablish the  law"  (Rom.  3:31). 

"We  may  conclude,  then,  that  every  aspect  of  the 
reign  of  the  law  has  ceased  with  the  death  of  Christ 
and  the  introduction  of  the  reign  of  grace.  There 
is  no  longer  any  obligation  to  do  the  things  which 
are  written  in  the  law,  only  as  they  have  been  trans- 
ferred and  restated  under  the  teachings  of  grace; 
there  is  no  longer  any  obligation  to  secure  favor  with 
God  by  human  merit;  and  there  is  no  longer  any 
yoke  of  bondage,  or  impossible  burden  to  do  what  no 
flesh  has  ever  been  able  to  do.  There  is  perfect 
liberty  and  victory  in  the  priceless  provisons  of 
grace;  "For  ye  are  not  under  the  law  but  under 
grace." 


THE  LIFE  UNDER  GRACE 

(continued) 

SECTION  SIX 
THE  SABBATH,  A  TEST   QUESTION. 

The  distinction  between  the  reign  of  law  and  the 
reign  of  grace  is  at  no  point  more  sharply  drawn  than 
in  the  question  of  the  observance  of  the  seventh 
day  of  the  week  or  the  first  day  of  the  week ;  for  these 
two  days  are  symbolical  of  the  dispensations  to  which 
they  are  related.  Likewise,  at  no  point  is  personal 
religious  prejudice,  which  is  born  of  early  training 
and  sentiment,  more  assertive  than  on  the  sabbath 
question.  It  was  His  liberal  teaching  on  the  obser- 
vance of  the  sabbath  which,  more  than  aught  else, 
provoked  the  wrath  of  the  Jewish  leaders  against 
Christ,  and,  it  may  be  observed,  there  is  no  religious 
subject  to-day  which  so  draws  out  personal  convic- 
tions and  opinions.  The  reason  is  evident.  Few 
have  really  comprehended  the  exact  character  and 
principle  of  grace.  To  many,  Christianity  is  a  sys- 
tem of  human  works  and  character  building  from 
which  merit  accrues.  And  the  observance  of  a  sab- 
bath day  presents  extraordinary  opportunities  for 
the  exercise  of  meritorious  works.  The  question  is 
a  far  deeper  one  than  the  observance,  or  the  manner 
of  observance,  of  a  day.  It  is  the  fundamental  ques- 
tion whether  grace  is  to  reign  supreme  in  place  of 

244 


The  Life  under  Grace  245 

law,  or  whether  it  is  to  be  co-mingled  with  law. 
The  roots  of  this  problem  reach  down  to  the  bed- 
rock issue  which  forms  the  very  structure  of  the  two 
opposing  principles  of  pure  law  and  pure  grace. 
For  its  solution,  the  question  demands  more  than 
a  superficial  opinion.  Truly  the  choice  of  a  particu- 
lar day  and  the  manner  of  its  observance  is  a  test 
question  as  to  the  individual's  intelligent  adjustment 
to  the  whole  grace  revelation.  As  there  can  be  no 
proper  co-mingling  of  the  reign  of  law  and  the  reign 
of  grace,  there  can  be  no  proper  co-mingling  of  ele- 
ments which,  according  to  the  Scriptures,  are  the 
essential  features  of  these  widely  different  days.  A 
"Christian  Sabbath"  is  a  mis-nomer,  and  the  very 
use  of  the  term  indicates  inexcusable  inattention  to 
Bible  terms,  and  an  unchallenged  freedom  of  mind 
and  heart  which  is  willing  to  sacrifice  the  richest 
treasures  of  grace  by  co-mingling  them  with  law. 
It  is  not  a  problem  of  interpretation ;  it  is  a  question 
of  whether  personal  sentiment,  prejudice,  or  igno- 
rance, shall  blindly  override  the  very  foundation  of 
the  right  divisions  of  Scripture. 

These  two'  days,  typical  of  two  opposing  govern- 
ing principles  and  two  great  dispensations,  are  abso- 
lutely unrelated.  Of  the  whole  Decalogue,  it  is  the 
sabbath-day  commandment  only  which  is  not  car- 
ried forward  in  any  manner  whatsoever  into  the 
reign  of  grace,  nor  could  it  be^  Failure  to  base  the 
distinction  between  these  age-representing  days  upon 
the  essential  character  of  their  respective  relation- 
ships— pure  law  and  pure  grace — is  resulting  in 
an  almost  universal  confusion  of  mind  on  the  sub- 
ject among  Christians,  and  this,  in  turn,  provides 


246  Grace 

the  opportunity  for  present-day  legalists  to  promote 
their  Christ-rejecting  heresies. 

Intelligent  comprehension  of  pure  law  is  clarifying 
to  the  mind,  for  its  very  oppositeness  to  pure  grace 
safeguards  a  clear  comprehension  of  grace.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  greatest  foe  of  such  clear  compre- 
hension of  pure  grace  and  its  issues  is  the  confusing, 
soul-wrecking  and  unscriptural  admixture  of  these  op- 
posing principles.  This  admixture'  is  ruinous  at 
every  point ;  but  at  no  point  is  it  more  destructive  of 
Scriptural  distinctions  than  in  the  confusion  of  a 
Jewish  sabbath  with  the  Christian's  day — the  Lord's 
day,  or  Sunday. 

Consideration  at  length  might  be  given  to  many 
vital  differences  between  the  law  obligations  and  the 
obligations  under  grace,  such  as  circumcision,  tithing, 
and  sacrifices;  but  unlike  the  sabbath  question,  these 
issues  are  self-adjusting  when  the  glory  of  grace  in 
some  measure  is  comprehended.  To  many,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  sabbath  question  bulks  largest  as  an 
essential  of  their  religion.  It,  therefore,  demands 
particular  consideration. 

The  reasons  for  this  discussion  are  four:  (1)  It 
vitally  determines  the  individual's  conception  of,  and 
blessing  in,  grace.  (2)  It,  of  necessity,  determines 
the  character  of  the  believer's  conduct  and  measure 
of  comprehension  of  his  'Scriptural  obligation  to 
God.  (3)  It  is  the  central  issue  of  a  misleading 
heresy.  And,  (4)  it  is  now  urged  as  a  national  re- 
form, in  which  it  is  proposed  to  legislate  a  Jewish 
sabbath  on  a  Christ-rejecting  world. 

This  consideration  of  the  Sabbath  question  is  based 
on  the  preceding  analysis  of  the  principles  of  law 


The  Life  under  Grace  247 

and  grace  and  this  discussion  cannot  be  followed 
clearly  apart  from  an  understanding  of  what  has 
gone  before.  So,  also,  in  so  far  as  an  earnest  appeal 
may  avail,  the  reader  is  besought  to  leave  preju- 
dice behind,  and  to  stand  on  the  uncompromised 
"Thus  saith  the  Lord." 

Two  major  aspects  of  this  subject  are  here  con- 
sidered. (1)  The  Biblical  testimony  regarding  the 
Jewish  sabbath,  and  (2)  The  Biblical  testimony  con- 
cerning the  Christian's  "Lord's  day."  To  this  is 
added  (3)  A  consideration  of  certain  current  errors. 

I.   THE  BIBLICAL  TESTIMONY  REGARDING  THE  JEWISH 
SABBATH 

This  theme  is  to  be  taken  up  in  sub-divisions  in 
which  the  Jewish  sabbath  is  considered  as  related  to 
various  periods  of  time: 

First.    The  Period  from  Adam  to  Moses. 

Two  theories  obtain  concering  the  question  of  sab- 
bath observance  during  this  period.  There  are  those 
who  contend  that  the  sabbath  was  committed  to  man 
in  Eden,  and  there  are  those  who  contend  that  the 
sabbath  was  given  to  Israel  only,  at  the  hand  of 
Moses. 

The  first  theory  is  usually  advanced  with  a  view 
to  applying  the  institution  of  the  sabbath  to  all 
men  before  the  law  even  was  given,  in  order  that 
the  sabbath  law  may  be  treated  as  now  applicable 
to  all  men,  even  after  the  termination  of  the  Mosaic 
law  in  the  cross.  This  form  of  argument  is  not  re- 
stricted to  the  Seventh-Day  legalists;  it  is  employed 


248  Grace 

by  many  writers  and  religious  leaders  who  are  at- 
tempting to  transfer  the  Biblical  authority  concern- 
ing the  Jewish  sabbath  to  the  observance  of  the  Lord 's 
day.  These,  by  Judaizing  Christianity,  are  obscuring 
the  truth  about  grace. 

When  it  is  claimed  that  the  sabbath  obtained  from 
Adam  to  Moses  it  is  said:  "The  sabbath  was  divinely 
sanctified  at  creation."  This  sanctification,  it  is  true, 
is  clearly  stated  in  Gen.  2:1-3:  ' '  Thus  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  were  finished,  and  all  the  host  of  them. 
And  on  the  seventh  day  God  ended  his  work  which 
he  had  made ;  and  he  rested  on  the  seventh  day  from 
all  his  work  which  he  had  made.  And  God  blessed 
the  seventh  day,  and  sanctified  it :  because  that  in  it 
he  had  rested  from  all  his  work  which  God  created 
and  made." 

When  it  is  assumed  that  the  sabbath  was  imposed 
on  man  at  Eden,  it  is  based  on  the  supposition  that 
this  passage  so  teaches;  which,  however,  the  passage 
does  not  necessarily  imply.  And  it  should  also  be 
remembered  that  Genesis  was  not  written  until 
Moses'  time,  and,  when  seeking  for  Biblical  evidence 
regarding  the  pre-Mosaic  observance  of  the  seventh 
day  it  will  be  found  that,  unlike  other  religious 
activities,  such  as  prayer,  circumcision  (Cf  John 
7:22),  and  sacrifices  the  observance  of  which  is  re- 
corded of  that  period,  there  is  no  mention  of  a 
sabbath  observance  from  creation  to  Moses. 

It  is  incredible  that  this  great  institution  of  the 
sabbath  could  have  existed  during  all  these  centuries 
and  there  be  no  mention  of  it  in  the  Scriptures  deal- 
ing with  that  time.  The  words  of  Job,  who  lived  five 


'  The  Life  under  Grace  249 

hundred  years  and  more  before  Moses,  offer  an  illus- 
tration. His  experience  discloses  the  spiritual  life 
of  the  pre-Mosaic  saint,  having  no  written  Scrip- 
tures, and  striving  to  know  his  whole  duty  to  God. 
Job  and  his  friends  refer  to  creation,  the  flood,  and 
many  details  of  human  obligation  to  God;  but  not 
once  do  they  mention  the  sabbath.  Again,  it  is  im- 
possible that  this  great  institution,  with  all  that  it 
contemplated  of  relationship  between  God  and  man,  /X  ^5^ 
could  have  existed  at  that  time  and  not  have  been/*' 
mentioned  in  any  portion  of  the  argument  of  the 
book  of  Job. 

There  is  little  force  in  the  contention  that  a  seven- 
day  week  was  recognized  as  early  as  Jacob's  time, 
and  therefore  a  sabbath  day  must  have  existed  which 
marked  off  the  week.  The  seven-day  week  is  the 
natural  fourth  part  of  a  lunar  month  and  does  not 
necessarily  demand  a  sabbath  day  with  religious  sig- 
nificance for  its  measurement.  Likewise,  there  is 
little  force  in  the  suggestion  that  Chinese  history 
hints  at  the  observance  of  one  sacred  day  in  every 
week.  Such  argument,  even  if  true,  should  not  be 
set  over  against  the  positive  testimony  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. 

There  is  one  passage  which  determines  this  ques- 
tion beyond  all  discussion.  The  following  quotation 
from  the  confession  of  the  priests  and  Levites  under 
Nehemiah  definitely  fixes  the  time  of  the  institution 
of  the  sabbath:  "Thou  earnest  down  also  upon 
Mount  Sinai,  and  spakest  with  them  from  heaven, 
and  gavest  them  right  judgments,  and  true  laws, 
good  statutes  and  commandments :  and  madest  known 


250  Grace 

unto  them  thy  holy  sabbath,  and  commandedst  them 
precepts,  statutes,  and  laws,  by  the  hand  of  Moses 
thy  servant"  (Neh.  9: 13,  14).  The  sabbath  given  to 
Israel  as  a  sign  (,Ex.  31:12-17),  was  never  given  to 
Gentiles.  There  is  no  record  that  Gentiles  ever  ree- 
ognked  the  sabbath,  either  between  Adam  and  Moses, 
or  between  Moses  and  Christ.  The  sabbath  is  of  the 
law;  but  the  law  did  not  begin  to  reign  until  Moses 
(Rom.  5:12-14). 
It  is  to  be  concluded,  then,  that  the  sabbath  was 

/  imposed  upon  Israel  only  and  as  a  part  of  the  law 

\  as  given  by  Moses. 

Second,  The  Period  from  Moses  to  Christ. 

The  sabbath  began  to  be  observed  by  Israel  from 
the  time  of  its  institution  through  Moses.  Invested 
with  the  character  of  a  sign  between  Jehovah  and 
the  nation  Israel,  it  was  in  no  sense  extended  to 
Gentiles.  These  facts  are  disclosed  in  the  following 
Scriptures : 

"The  LORD  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  thou 
also  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  Verily  my 
sabbaths  ye  shall  keep :  for  it  is  a  sign  between  me 
and  you  throughout  your  generations;  that  ye  may 
know  that  I  am  the  LORD  that  doth  sanctify  you. 
Ye  shall  keep  the  sabbath  therefore;  for  it  is  holy 
unto  you:  every  one  that  defileth  it  shall  surely  be 
put  to  death:  for  whosoever  doeth  any  work 
therein,  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  among  his 
people.  Six  days  may  work  be  done;  but  in  the 
seventh  is  the  sabbath  of  rest,  holy  to  the  LORD: 
whosoever  doeth  any  work  in  the  sabbath  day,  he 
shall  surely  be  put  to  death.  Wherefore  the  chil- 


The  Life  under  Grace  251 

dren  of  Israel  shall  keep  the  sabbath,  to  observe  the 
sabbath  throughout  their  generations,  for  a  perpetual 
covenant.  It  is  a  sign  between  me  and  the  children 
of  Israel  for  ever:  for  in  six  days  the  LORD  made 
heaven  and  earth,  and  on  the  seventh  day  he  rested,  *} 
and  was  refreshed "  (  JSx.  31 : 12-17) .  *  ~T, 

Nothing  but  blind  prejudice  could  apply  this  or 
any  other  Old  Testament  Scripture  concerning  the 
sabbath,  to  the  Gentiles.  The  sabbath  was  a  part  of 
Israel's  law,  and  it  was  the  possession  of  that  law 
which  distinguished  that  nation  from  all  other 
peoples  of  the  earth. 

It  is  equally  erroneous  to  insist  that  the  sabbath 
was  always  celebrated  on  the  last  day  of  the  week. 
The  sabbath,  but  for  necessary  exceptions,  was  the 
seventh  in  a  series  of  seven2  whether  days  or  years. 
Of  necessity  it  often  fell  on  other  days  of  the  week  as 
"aa  well  as  on  Saturday.  There  were  at  least  fifteen 
sabbaths  which  were  fixed  dates  in  their  given  month, 
and  these  sabbaths  fell  on  those  particular  dates  re- 
gardless of  the  day  of  the  week.1  In  one  instance,  seven 
sabbaths  were  counted  from  the  fifteenth  day  of  the 
month,  and  the  day  following  that  last  sabbath  of  the 
seven,  was  Pentecost  (Lev.  23;15T  16).  These  seven 
sabbaths,  it  is  evident,  Became  pre-determined  dates 
by  arbitrary  reckoning  from  the  first  sabbath.  So, 
likewise,  the  day  that  Christ  was  in  the  tomb  was  a 

i  From  Lev.  23 :  37,  38,  it  has  been  claimed  by  some  that 
these  fixed  sabbaths  were  extra  sabbaths  which  were  added  to 
the  regular  sabbaths.  This  claim,  however,  is  not  supported 
by  Num.  28:  9,  .10.  The  comparison  of  these  important  Scrip- 
tures reveals  the  fact  that  the  word  "besides"  of  Lev.  23:  37, 
38,  does  not  indicate  more  sabbaths;  but  rather  refers  to 
additional  offerings  to  be  made  over  and  above  the  regular 
sabbath  offerings. 


252  Grace 

fixed  sabbath.  It  was  the  fifteenth  of  Abid,  which  by 
divine  arrangement  in  that  particular  year  fell  on  a 
Saturday.  That  this  was  a  fixed  sabbath  is  proven 
by  the  fact  that  the  day  before  was  " preparation" 
day  (Mk.  15 : 42),  which  day  was  determined  for  the 
fourteenth  of  that  month  (Ex.  12:  2,  6).  Again,  cer- 
tain working  days  were  established  days.  The  lamb 
must  be  taken  on  the^ tenth  day  of  the  first  month  and 
be  killed,  roasted  with  fire,  and  eaten  on  the  four- 
teenth day  of  the  month.  Likewise,  Abid  sixteenth 
could  in  no  wise  have  been  a  sabbath  for  that  date 
was  appointed  as  the  beginning  of  harvest  (Deut. 
16 :  9.  Cf  Lev.  23 : 15) .  All  these  labors  would  have 
been  direct  violations  of  the  sabbath  law;  yet  these 
ceremonies  were  appointed  for  certain  pre-determined 
jlates,  and  from  time  to  time  must  inevitably 
have  been  in  conflict  with  the  pre-determined  sab- 
baths. 

By  all  of  this  it  is  evident  that  the  sacred  character 
of  the  day  belonged  to  its  relative  place  in  a  series  of 
seven  days,  and  not  to  a  particular  day  of  the  week. 

During  the  period  from  Moses  to  Christ  in  which 
the  sabbath  obtained  under  the  direct  sanction  of 
God,  it  was,  as  the  word  sabbath  indicates,  a  day  of 
physical  rest.  It  was  binding  on  the  whole  nation 
Israel,  and  death  was  the  penalty  for  its  violation. 
No  fire  was  to  be  kindled,  no  food  prepared,  no 
journey  undertaken,  no  buying  or  selling  permitted, 
and  no  burden  to  be  borne.  Even  the  land  was  to 
have  its  sabbaths  (Ex.  31:12-17;  35:3;  16:22-26; 
Neh.  10:31;  13:15-21;  Lev.  25:4;  2  Chron.  36:21). 
The  sabbath  law,  like  all  of  the  law,  was  so  poorly 
observed  that  Jehovah  finally  carried  the  nation  into 


The  Life  under  Grace  253 

captivity  with  the  declared  purpose  that  the  land 
might  enjoy  its  sabbaths. 

The  sabbath  was  inter-related  with  the  law,  just  as 
it  is  embedded  in  the  heart  of  the  Decalogue.  The 
exact  manner  of  its  observance  is  revealed  only  in  the 
teachings  of  Moses,  and  since  the  law  was  a  covenant 
of  human  works,  the  sabbath  was  the  divine  provision 
for  rest  under  that  covenant.  The  modern  conception 
of  a  sabbath,  isolated  from  the  laws  which  governed 
it,  and  adapted  to  the  Christian  dispensation  as  the 
day  of  religious  activity,  public  meetings,  Christian 
service,  and  worship,  is  entirely  out  of  harmony  with 
every  Scripture  bearing  on  the  sabbath.  It  is  taught 
by  some  that  although  the  laws  which  conditioned  the 
manner  of  sabbath  observance  have  ceased,  the  recog- 
nition of  the  day,  whether  it  be  Saturday,  or  Sunday, 
remains  as  a  binding  obligation.  The  result  of  such 
teaching  is  the  imposition  of  the  observance  of  a  day 
without  any  exact  instruction  as  to  the  manner  of  such 
observance.  This  teaching  is  both  inconsistent  and 
unscriptural.  Moreover,  the  unscriptural  inconsist- 
ency is  greatly  increased  when  the  celebration  of  the 
sabbath  is  changed  from  Saturday  to  Sunday,  and  is 
imposed  on  Gentiles. 

The  sabbath  was  a  vital  institution  under  the  reign 
of  the  law.  It  depended  on  the  entire  law  system  for 
its  proper  observance,  and  the  law  system  depended 
on  the  sabbath  for  its  normal  action.  The  complete 
legal  system  stands,  or  falls,  together.  The  Mosaic 
age  was  given  over  to  the  uncomplicated  functioning 
of  the  entire  law  system;  but  that  age,  and  all  that 
characterized  it,  was,  when  Christ  died,  superseded  by 
the  reign  of  grace. 


254  Grace 

Third.    The  Period  Represented  by  the  Gospels. 

Much  confusion  concerning  the  sabbath  is  due  to  a 
failure  to  recognize  the  peculiar  character  of  the 
period  represented  by  the  Gospels.  It  should  be  re- 
membered that  Christ  was  first  a  "  minister  of  the 
circumcision";  He  was  "made  under  the  law";  and 
He  lived  and  wrought  under  the  law.  The  law  did 
not  pass  at  His  birth.  It  passed  at  His  death.  Dur- 
ing the  days  of  His  ministry,  He  recognized,  kept, 
and  enforced  the  sabbath  as  an  integral  part  of  the 
whole  Mosaic  system.  True,  He  insisted  that  the 
Mosaic  system,  and  the  sabbath  in  particular,  be 
delivered  from  the  encrusted  teachings  of  men  which 
had  been  superimposed  on  the  law  of  Moses.  These 
man-made  additions  to  the  law  were  held  by  the  Jews 
to  be  as  binding  and  sacred  as  the  very  Word  of  God. 
Because  He  ignored  all  else  but  the  "Word  of  God, 
Christ  appeared  as  a  liberalist  on  the  question  of  the 
sabbath.  He  also  claimed  to  be  "Lord  of  the  sab- 
bath," which  He  was,  and  by  virtue  of  that  position, 
He  had  authority  to  change  the  sabbath,  or,  if  He 
chose,  to  abolish  it  forever.  A  greater  than  Moses, 
through  whom  the  law  came,  was  in  their  midst.  It 
is  certain  that  He  purposed  to  rescue  the  sabbath  from 
being  an  enslaving  institution  and  to  restore  its  func- 
tions as  a  benefit  to  man.  This  He  announced  when 
He  said:  "The  sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  not 
man  for  the  sabbath."  That  is,  man  was  not  made 
to  be  sacrificed  for  a  day;  but  the  day  was  made  for 
the  blessing  of  man. 

Before  His  death,  the  sabbath  was  one  of  the  most 
important  issues  in  the  experience  and  ministry  of 


UC 

Of 

jy 
[is 


The  Life  under  Grace  255 

Christ.  However,  it  is  both  obvious  and  suggestive 
that  He  never  mentioned  that  day  in  the  upper-room 
discourse,  nor  is  that  day  once  mentioned  as  an  obliga- 
tion in  all  of  His  post-resurrection  ministry.  It  is 
inconceivable  that  the  sabbath,  which  was  so  vital  a 
part  of  the  Mosaic  system,  should  be  omitted  from 
these  great  age-characterizing  teachings  of  Christ,  if 
it  was  the  purpose  of  God  that  this  Jewish  day  should 
have  any  place  in  the  present  reign  of  grace. 

It  has  also  been  claimed  that  Christ  extended  the 
sabbath-keeping  obligation  to  all  men,  when  He  said : 
' '  The  sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the 
sabbath."  This  issue  turns  on  the  exact  meaning  of 
the  word  man  as  here  used.  Did  Christ  signify  by 
this  statement  that  the  Jewish  sabbath  was  by  His 
authority  extended  to  all  men?  Or  did  He  use  the 
word  man  in  its  more  limited  sense  as  applying  only 
to  the  nation  Israel  ?  Two  facts  determine  the  answer :  > 
(1)  The  sabbath  is  never  by  any  subsequent  Scrip- 
ture applied  to  Gentiles,  and  (2)  the  word  man  is 
used  in  the  Old  Testament  no  less  than  336  times, 
when  referring  to  Israel  alone,  and  many  times  in  the 
New  Testament  when  referring  only  to  Christians.  It 
is  said :  * '  Christ  is  the  head  of  every  man ' ' ;  the  Spirit 
"is  given  to  every  man";  "If  any  man  build  on  this 
foundation";  "Every  man  shall  have  praise";  "That 
we  majy  present  every  man  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus." 
In  all  these  Scriptures  the  word  man  has  only  the 
limited  meaning.  It  is  therefore  evident  that  Christ 
said,  in  harmony  with  all  Scripture,  that  the  sabbath 
was  made  for  Israel ;  for  there  is  no  Biblical  evidence 
that  Christ  ever  imposed  the  Jewish  sabbath  on  either 
Gentiles  or  Christians;  but  true  to  the  law,  He  did 


256  Grace 

recognize  its  important  place  and  obligation  in  rela- 
tion to  Israel  until  the  reign  of  the  law  should  be  ter- 
minated through  His  death. 

Fourth.  The  Period  Represented  ~by  the  Acts  and 
the  Epistles. 

In  considering  the  sabbath  question,  great  impor- 
tance must  be  attributed  to  the  exact  character  of  those 
teachings  of  the  New  Testament  which  come  after  the 
founding  of  Christianity  through  the  death  and  resur- 
rection of  Christ,  and  by  the  advent  of  the  Spirit  on 
Pentecost. 

f  It  should  be  observed  first  that  the  law,  as  a  rule  of 
conduct,  is  not  once  applied  to  the  Christian,  and  that 
these  'Scriptures  by  overwhelming  revelation,  assert 
that  the  law  has  passed,  through  the  death  of  Christ. 
They  assert  that  the  law  has  ceased  both  as  a  means  of 
justification,  and  as  a  rule  of  life  for  the  one  who  is 
\  justified  (John  1:16,  17;  Rom.  6:14;  7:1-6;  2  Cor. 
\  3 : 1-18 ;  Eph.  2 : 15 ;  Col.  2 : 14 ;  Gal.  3 : 19-25) .  If  it 
is  claimed  that  the  Decalogue,  in  which  the  sabbath  is 
embedded,  was  not  of  the  law,  and  therefore  was  not 
terminated  with  the  death  of  Christ,  this  contention 
is  disposed  of  completely  by  the  reference  in  Rom. 
7 : 7-14  to  the  last  of  the  commandments,  in  which 
Scripture  this  commandment  is  explicitly  mentioned 
as  "the  law."  So,  also,  according  to  2  Cor.  3:7-14, 
that  which  was  "written  and  engraven  in  stones" — 
the  Decalogue,  including  the  sabbath  day — is  "done 
away"  and  "abolished." 

It  should  be  observed  next  that,  if  an  issue  so  vital 
as  was  the  sabbath  under  the  law,  is  imposed  on  the 


The  Life  under  Grace  257 

Church,  it  is  incredible  (1)  that  the  early  Christians 
would  not  be  reported  as  having  at  some  time  dis- 
charged their  personal  obligation  to  the  sabbath,  or 
(2)  that  the  necessity  of  recognizing  the  sabbath 
would  not  be  somewhere  incorporated  in  the  new 
teachings  of  grace.  Turning  to  these  Scriptures  we 
discover : 

1.  Tke  sabbath  in  the  Boole  of  The  Acts. 

The  word  sabbath  is  used  nine  times  in  the  Acts, 
and  wherever  it  is  referred  to  as  a  day  which  is  ob- 
served, it  is  related  only  to  the  unbelieving  Jews, 
who,  as  would  be  expected,  perpetuated,  and  who  still 
perpetuate,  the  observance  of  the  sabbath  day.  Not 
once  in  this  Book  is  it  stated,  or  even  implied,  that 
Christians  kept  a  sabbath  day.  It  is  said  that  the 
Apostle  Paul  went  into  the  synagogue  of  the  Jews 
and  reasoned  with  them  every  sabbath;  but  this  can 
imply  nothing  more  than  that  he  took  advantage  of 
their  gathering  together  on  that  day  in  order  that  he 
might  preach  to  them.  Such  may  be  the  experience 
of  any  missionary  to  the  Jews  to-day. 

2.  The  sabbath  in  the  Epistles. 

Turning  to  the  Epistles,  it  will  be  seen  in  this  por- 
tion of  the  Scriptures,  as  in  the  Book  of  Acts,  that  no 
Christian  is  said  to  have  observed  a  sabbath  day.  It 
is  highly  probable  that  some  in  the  early  church  who 
were  drawn  into  the  observance  of  the  law  were  also 
complicated  with  issues  of  sabbath  keeping;  but  the 
Spirit  of  God  has  omitted  every  such  incident,  if  such 
there  was,  from  the  pages  of  Scripture.  Thus  the 


258  Grace 

Inspired  Record  does  not  reveal  the  complication  of 
one  believer  with  the  Jewish  sabbath,  even  as  an  error 
in  conduct;  nor  are  sinners  termed  Sabbath  breakers. 

Upon  examination  of  tne  direct  injunctions  and 
doctrinal  teachings  of  the  Epistles,  it  is  discovered 
that  the  word_jia&6a£/i  is  used  but  once,  the  term 
seventh  day  mentioned  in  one  passage  only,  and  the 
legalistic  observance  of  a  day  is  referred  to  but  once. 
These  passages  deserve  particular  attention: 

Col.  2 : 16,  17.  In  the  context  in  which  this  Scrip- 
ture is  found,  the  Apostle  warns  believers  against  any 
complicity  with  the  law,  or  works-covenant,  since  they 
have  been  transferred  to  a  position  under  grace.  The 
passage  states  that  they  have  been  made  "complete" 
in  Christ,  to  which  estate  nothing  could  ever  be  added ; 
hence  for  the  one  who  is  "in  Christ,"  the  objective  of 
all  meritorious  works  is  already  gained,  and  the  legal 
obligation  to  do  good  works  is  forever  met  (v.  10). 
The  believer  is  also  said  to  be  "circumcised  with  the 
circumcision  made  without  hands,  in  putting  off  the 
body  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh  by  the  circumcision  of 
Christ. ' '  Therefore,  since  the  flesh,  the  one  thing  the 
law  proposed  to  control,  is,  in  the  sight  of  God,  put 
away,  there  is  no  need  of  the  law.  The  Jewish  child 
was  circumcised  on  the  eighth  day,  which  was  the  first 
day  of  a  new  week  following  the  passing  of  a  com- 
pleted week.  The  circumcision  on  the  eighth  day,  or 
first  day  of  a  new  week,  typified  the  deliverance  from 
the  old  creation  which  would  be  accomplished  for 
believers  through  the  resurrection  of  Christ  from  the 
dead;  for  in  that  death  He  bore  all  the  curse  of  the 
old  creation.  For  this  reason  the  believer  under  grace 
is  not  called  upon  to  celebrate  any  aspect  of 


The  Life  under  Grace  259 

the  old  creation  which  was  represented  by  the  sab- 
bath (v.  11).  The  one  who  is  saved  has  been  "buried 
with  him  in  baptism,  wherein  [the  baptism]  also  ye  . 
are  risen  with  him  through  the  faith  of  the  operation 
of  God  [his  own  faith  in  God's  power],  who  hath 
raised  him  from  the  dead."  The  use  of  the  aorist 
tense  in  connection  with  the  reference  to  a  burial  with 
Him  in  baptism,  places  that  burial  as  being  contem- 
poraneous with  the  circumcision  just  mentioned. 
Therefore  it  is  evident  that  the  baptism  with  the 
Spirit  which  vitally  relates  the  believer  to  Christ  is  in 
view  (1  Cor.  12:13.  Cf  Gal.  3:27).  In  that  bap- 
tism, as  in  no  other,  the  Christian  partakes  of  all  that 
Christ  is,  and  all  that  Christ  has  done.  He  shares  in 
Christ's  crucifixion,  death,  burial,  and  resurrection 
(Rom.  6:1-10).  With  the  old  creation  thus  buried 
in  the  tomb  of  Christ,  the  believer  is  in  no  wise  ob- 
ligated to  any  observance  related  to  the  old  creation 
(v.  12).  Again,  the  believer  has  been  delivered  from 
the  law  by  no  less  an  undertaking  than  the  nailing 
of  the  law  with  its  handwritings  and  ordinances  to 
the  cross.  After  this  great  transaction,  how  can  the 
child  of  God  reasonably  recognize  the  law  in  any 
respect  whatsoever  (v.  14)  ?  To  the  one  who  is  thus 
complete  in  Christ,  circumcised  in  Christ,  buried  with 
Christ,  and  delivered  from  the  authority  of  all  hand- 
writings and  ordinances,  the  Apostle  writes :  ' '  Let  no 
man  therefore  judge  you  in  meat,  or  in  drink,  or  in 
respect  of  an  holyday,  or  of  the  new  moon,  or  of  the 
sabbath  days  [day]  :  which  are  a  shadow  of  things  to 
come;  but  the  body  [substance]  is  Christ."  All  these 
were  essential  features  of  the  law  (1  Chron.  23:31; 
2  Chron.  2:4;  31:3),  and  as  such  were  to  cease  in 


260  Grace 

the  present  age  of  Israel's  chastisement  (Hos.  2: 11), 
and  are  to  be  reinstated  in  the  coming  kingdom  (Ezk. 
45 : 17) .  They^were^but  shadows  of  the  jSubstance — 
Christ.  Maying  the  Substance,  the  believer  is  warned 
against  turning  to  the  mere  shadow.  According  to 
this  Scripture,  the  law,  which  included  the  sabbath 
day,  is  abolished.  If  it  is  objected  that  the  reference 
in  this  passage  is  to  extra  ceremonial  sabbaths,  the 
contention  cannot  be  sustained;  for  the  words  here 
used  are  ton  sab'batpijt,  which  are  the  exact  words  that 
are  invariably  used  to  designate  the  regular  Jewish 
sabbath. 

It  is  significant,  then,  that  in  all  the  Epistles, 
wherein  the  believer's  obligation  under  grace  is  set 
forth,  the  only  use  of  the  word  sabbath  is  under  abso- 
lute prohibition  concerning  its  observance,  and  that 
it  is  there  held  to  be  in  conflict  with  the  most  vital 
and  superseding  elements  of  grace. 

Heb.  4:4.  In  this  passage  the  one  reference  in  all 
the  Epistles  to  the  seventh  day  is  found.  We  read: 
"For  he  spake  in  a  certain  place  of  the  seventh  day 
on  this  wise,  And  God  did  rest  the  seventh  day  from 
all  his  works. ' '  As.bef ore,  the  occasion  for  this  refer- 
ence to  a  seventh  day  is  explicit  in  the  context.  In 
the  whole  passage  (4:1-13)  Hebrew  Christians  are 
warned  lest,  as  their  fathers  failed  to  enter  into  rest 
under  Joshua  (v.  8),  they  themselves  should  fail  to 
enter,  experimentally,  into  the  rest  provided  in  the 
finished  work  of  Christ,  of  whom  Joshua  was  but  a 
type.  In  the  application  of  this  passage,  it  may  be 
noted  that  the  rest  under  Christ  is  not  for  one  day  in 
the  week,  nor  is  it  that  sabbath-rest  which  was  due 


The  Life  under  Grace  261 

after  a  six-day  strain  of  meritorious  works.  It  is 
rather  the  abiding  rest  of  faith  in  Another  who,  as 
Substitute,  has  wrought  all  the  "works  of  God." 
This  blessed  rest  is  promised  "to  him  that  worketh 
not."  Likewise,  it  is  in  no  sense  the  rest  of  death. 
It  is  rather  the  rest  of  Christ 's  imparted,  resurrection 
life,  and  that  life  is  ceaselessly  active.  The  extent 
and  character  of  the  activity  of  the  new  life  in  Christ 
is  a  violation  of  every  commandment  which  enjoins 
a  sabbath  day  of  rest. 

Gal.  4 : 9,  10.  At  this  point  in  this  Epistle,  the 
Apostle  chides  the  Galatian  believers  for  observing 
"days"  which  are  borrowed  from  the  law,  and  tells 
them  that  by  the  keeping  of  legal  days  they  have 
turned  from  grace  to  the  law:  "But  now,  after  that 
ye  have  known  God,  or  rather  are  known  of  God,  how 
turn  ye  again  to  the  weak  and  beggarly  elements, 
whereunto  ye  desire  again  to  be  in  bondage  ?  Ye  ob- 
serve days,  and  months,  and  times,  and  years."  The 
phrase,  "weak  and  beggarly  elements/'  is  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  character  of  the  law.  As  a  means  of  se- 
curing moral  and  spiritual  conduct,  the  law  was 
"weak"  since  its  correct  observance  was  impossible 
through  the  "weakness  of  the  flesh"  (Rom.  8:3). 
As  a  source  of  heart-blessing,  the  law  was  "beggarly" 
(lit.  poverty  stricken)  as  compared  to  the  riches  of 
grace  in  Christ  Jesus. 

From  this  consideration  of  the  Scriptures  which 
describe  and  define  the  life  of  the  believer  after  the 
cross,  it  is  notable  that  in  these  Scriptures  there  is  no 
example  of  the  observance  of  a  sabbath  day  by  any 
believer,  and  no  injunction  for  such  observance.  On 


262  Grace 

the  other  hand,  there  is  the  most  conclusive  teaching 
concerning  the  complete  ending  of  the  law  by  the 
death  of  Christ,  and  the  most  faithful  warnings  lest 
the  believer  shall  become  ensnared  by  complicity  with 
sabbath-day  observance. 

Fifth.    The  Sabbath  in  Prophecy. 

There  are  two  distinct  aspects  of  the  sabbath  in 
prophecy:  (1)  Concerning  its  cessation  in  this  age  of 
Israel's  chastisement,  and  (2)  concerning  its  reestab- 
lishment  when  the  present  purpose  in  the  Church  is 
accomplished. 

1.    The  cessation  of  the  sabbath. 

It  is  clear  from  Hos.  2 : 11  that  the  chastisement 
which  was  to  fall  on  Israel,  and  which  she  is  now 
experiencing,  would  be  characterized  by  the  cessation 
of  all  her  solemn  feasts  and  sabbaths:  "I  will  also 
cause  all  her  mirth  to  cease,  her  feast  days,  her  new 
moons,  and  her  sabbaths,  and  all  her  solemn  feasts." 
Such  is  the  unalterable  decree  of  God,  and  had  one 
word  of  this  prophecy  failed,  He  would  have  been 
proven  untrue.  These  Jewish  observances  which  were 
to  cease  included  all  her  sabbaths.  They  ceased  at 
the  beginning  of  this  age  of  grace,  so  far  as  any  recog- 
nition from  God  is  concerned.  Otherwise,  when  will 
this  prophecy  be  fulfilled  ?  Uninstructed  people  may 
impose  a  solemn  feast,  or  a  Jewish  sabbath,  upon 
themselves ;  but  this  will  accomplish  no  more  than  the 
creation  of  an  abnormal  conscience  which  either 
accuses  or  excuses  but  never  satisfies  the  heart.  Such 


The  Life  under  Grace  263 

is  the  invariable  effect  of  self-imposed  law   (Rom. 
2:14,  15). 

2.    The  reestablishment  of  the  sabbath. 

Upon  the  completion  of  the  present  divine  purpose 
in  the  Church,  Israel's  sabbaths  will  be  reinstated. 
This  is  assured  both  for  the  great  tribulation  which 
must  precede  the  glorious  coming  of  Christ,  and  for 
the  kingdom  age  which  follows  that  coming.  Con- 
cerning the  great  tribulation  it  is  said:  "But  pray  ye 
that  your  flight  be  not  in  the  winter,  neither  on  the 
sabbath  day"  (Mt.  24:20).  No  Christian  has  ever 
been  inclined  to  offer  this  prayer.  The  time  of  its 
fulfillment  does  not  concern  him,  nor  does  he  have 
any  relation  to  a  sabbath  day.  It  will  be  in  the  ' '  time 
of  Jacob's  trouble,"  and  Israel's  sabbaths  will  then 
be  observed  again.  Concerning  the  kingdom  age  we 
read:  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  from  one  new 
moon  to  another,  and  from  one  sabbath  to  another, 
shall  all  flesh  come  to  worship  before  me,  saith  the 
LORD"  (Isa.  66:  23)  ;  "Thus  saith  the  LORD  GOD;  The 
gate  of  the  inner  court  that  looketh  toward  the  east 
shall  be  shut  the  six  working  days ;  but  on  the  sabbath 
it  shall  be  opened,  and  in  the  day  of  the  new  moon  it 
shall  be  opened"  (Ezk.  46: 1).  This  is  according  to 
all  prophecy  concerning  the  kingdom.  It  is  then  that 
Israel  shall  "do  all  his  commandments,"  including 
the  sabbath  (Deut.  30 :  8) .  The  sabbath  must  be  rein- 
stated; for  it  is  a  "perpetual  covenant"  and  sign 
between  Jehovah  and  Israel,  except  for  such  time  as 
He  shall  cause  it  to  cease  in  His  chastisement  of  that 
people  (Ex.  31:16). 


'     :   eh 


264  Grace 

Sixth.    The  Exact  Day. 

The  supposition  that  an  exact  continuation  of 
weekly  sabbaths  is  now  being  kept  by  all  who  observe 
the  seventh  day,  is  without  foundation.  It  should  be 
noted:  (a)  No  day  is  holy  in  itself.  From  the 
natural  standpoint,  all  days  are  alike  and  are  equally 
subject  to  the  same  physical  conditions.  A  day  is 
holy  by  divine  decree,  and  that  decree  is  subject  to 

ange  at  the  appointment  of  God.  By  no  means  did 
;he  day  always  fall  on  Saturday,  nor  were  the  sab- 
baths always  separated  by  six  full  working  days,  (b) 
The  sabbath  was  to  begin  with  sunset  and  end  with 
sunset.  This  was  simple  enough  when  ordered  for 
Israel  in  the  small  geographical  boundaries  of  Pales- 
tine. It  is  far  different  when  applied  to  the  whole 
earth,  and,  as  some  dare  to  claim,  to  heaven  as  well. 
No  uniformity  of  the  observance  of  an  exact  day  is 
possible  over  the  whole  earth.  While  some  are  keep- 
ing Saturday  on  one  hemisphere,  others  are  keeping 
Sunday  (as  sabbath)  on  the  other.  "Should  two  per- 
sons start  from  a  given  point  to  go  around  the  earth 
in  opposite  directions,  and  both  observe  each  sabbath 
from  sundown  to  sundown,  upon  their  return  to  the 
starting  point,  one  would  be  observing  Friday  and 
the  other  Sunday.  The  question  of  observing  an 
exact  day  from  sunset  is  even  more  perplexing  in  the 
far  North.  The  sun  sets  there  but  once  in  six  months. 
In  that  region,  to  be  Biblical  and  exact,  there  must 
be  a  twelve-month  sabbath,  and  a  week  of  seven  years. 
(c)  The  exact  day  in  which  God  finished  creation 
and  rested  is  quite  unknown.  He  rested  on  the  sev- 
enth day;  but  it  could  hardly  be  proven  that  sun- 


The  Life  under  Grace  265 

down  on  Friday  night  at  a  given  place  on  the  earth 
is  the  perpetuation  of  the  exact  moment  when  God 
began  to  rest  from  His  work  of  creation.  Who  can 
trace  the  exact  moment,  day,  or  year,  through  Eden, 
the  flood,  the  bondage  in  Egypt,  and  the  dark  ages? 
Yet  apart  from  the  assurance  that  Saturday  at  a  given 
place  on  the  earth  is  the  exact  day  in  rotation  of 
weeks  from  creation,  there  is  no  basis  for  the  claim 
to  the  sacredness  of  the  exact  time  to  be  observed. 
Ignorant  people  are  too  often  encouraged  in  the  belief 
that  they  are  actually  celebrating  the  rest  of  God  in 
creation  when  they  observe  the  hours  as  they  fall  on 
Saturday  in  the  locality  where  they  chance  to  live. 

It  is  therefore  the  manner  of  the  observance  of  the 
day,  and  not  the  exact  time,  which  is  in  question. 
Shall  it  be  the  seventh  day,  or  the  first  day  ?  It  must 
be  one  or  the  other;  for  there  is  nothing  more  un- 
reasonable, illogical,  and  unbiblical,  than  the  observ- 
ance of  the  seventh  day  with  confusion  of  Christian 
issues  of  worship  and  service,  which  is  the  practice  of 
every  Sabbatarian,  or  the  observance  of  the  first  day 
with  confusion  of  the  sabbath  law,  which  is  the  pres- 
ent practice  of  Christendom.  There  would  be  little 
occasion  for  discussion  of  the  question  if  the  simple 
distinctions  between  law  and  grace  were  recognized. 

H.  THE  BIBLICAL  TESTIMONY  CONCERNING  THE  LORD'S 
DAY. 

This  aspect  of  truth  will  be  considered  under  two 
general  divisions:  (1)  The  reason  for  the  observance 
of  the  day,  and  (2)  The  manner  of  observance  of  the 
day. 


266  Grace 

First,  The  Reason  for  the  Observance  of  the  New 
Day. 

Even  a  cursory  reading  of  those  portions  of  Scrip- 
ture which  condition  the  daily  life  of  the  Christian 
will  reveal  the  fact  that,  while  every  other  fundamen- 
tal principle  of  righteousness  found  in  the  Decalogue 
is  restated  in  the  teachings  of  grace,  the  sabbath  is 
not  once  imposed  upon  the  believer.  On  the  contrary, 
as  before  shown,  there  is  explicit  warning  against  the 
observance  of  a  sabbath  day.  This  is  a  fact  of  reve- 
lation which  should  not  be  overlooked. 

Throughout  the  history  of  the  church,  a  new  day 
has  been  observed  which  superseded  the  Jewish  sab- 
bath, and  this  change  of  days  has  not  been  contrary 
to  the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures,  as  some  insist;  it 
has,  rather,  been  according  to  the  revealed  plan  and 
purpose  of  God.  There  are  certain  Biblical  reasons 
for  this  change : 

1.    The  Mosaic  system  has  ceased. 

The  whole  Mosaic  system,  including  its  sabbath  day, 
has  given  way  to  the  reign  of  grace.  To  this  impor- 
tant truth  sufficient  proof  has  already  been  presented, 
but  in  spite  of  the  clearest  Biblical  statement  on  this 
subject,  there  are  two  groups  of  professing  Christians 
who  evidently  do  not  receive  this  divine  testimony, 
(a)  Those  who  persist  in  the  observance  of  the  sev- 
enth day;  and  (b)  those  who  observe  the  first  day, 
but  who  invest  it  with  the  character  of  the  Jewish 
sabbath,  and  observe  it  on  the  authority  of  the  law 
which  was  given  to  Israel  by  Moses.  The  position  of 
these  two  classes  should  be  considered  separately: 


The  Life  under  Grace  267 

(a)  Those  who  persist  in  the  observance  of  the 
seventh  day,  do  so  on  the  claim  that,  while  the  law 
passed  away  in  the  death  of  Christ,  the  Decalogue  is 
not  a  part  of  the  law  and  therefore  it,  with  its  sab- 
bath day,  has  not  been  abolished.  The  answer  to  this 
subtle  argument  is  clear  and  conclusive.  Not  only  is 
the  Decalogue  included  and  embedded  in  the  Old 
Testament  statement  of  the  law,  but,  in  the  New  Test- 
ament, the  Decalogue,  as  has  already  been  shown,  is 
distinctly  said  to  be  ' '  the  law. ' '  In  Eom.  7 :  7,  the 
Apostle  Paul  has  written  of  the  tendency  of  his  own 
heart  toward  sin.  He  states :  ' '  I  had  not  known  sin, 
but  by  the  law :  for  I  had  not  known  lust,  except  the 
law  had  said,  Thou  shalt  not  covet."  Thus  he 
refers  to  the  Tenth  Commandment  as  "the  law." 

Furtherm6re7"it"ls  impossible  now  for  any  Jew  or 
Gentile  to  keep  the  Ceremonial  law  of  Moses,  and  thus 
it  is  evident  that  the  New  Testament  warnings  against 
law  observance  could  not  be  a  warning  against  an 
observance  of  the  Ceremonial  law.  The  Ceremonial  , 
law  required  for  its  observance  the  presence  of  Jeho- 
vah in  the  holy  of  holies,  an  altar,  a  priesthood  and  a  -^ 
temple  in  Jerusalem.  All  these  prerequisites  for  the  » 
observance  of  the  Ceremonial  law  were  withdrawn  at 
the  beginning  of  the  present  age.  The  church  of 
Eome,  in  its  attempt  to  continue  the  law  system,  pro- 
posed to  meet  this  difficulty  by  creating  its  own  altar, 
temple  service,  and  priesthood,  and  alleges  that  the 
Lord  is  present  in  the  consecrated  bread.  The  warn- 
ings which  are  found  under  grace  against  the  keeping 
of  the  law  are  of  necessity  applicable  only  to  the  Deca- 
logue, and  not  to  the  Ceremonial  law. 

The  Ceremonial  law  governed  the  precise  manner 


268  Grace 

of  the  observance  of  the  sabbath  and  there  is  great 
unreasonableness,  with  attending  confusion,  when  the 
attempt  is  now  made  to  keep  the  Jewish  sabbath  apart 
from  the  Ceremonial  law.  The  class  of  legalists  who 
now  try  to  observe  the  seventh  day,  having  no  way 
to  introduce  the  Ceremonial  law,  borrow  the  features 
of  the  new  day  of  grace.  They  hold  services,  worship, 
and  do  much  religious  work  on  the  seventh  day, 
which,  being  strictly  a  day  of  rest,  was  never  designed 
to  be  a  day  of  activity,  religious  or  otherwise,  nor  was 
such  activity  ever~  allowed  on  this  day  during  the 
reign  of  the  law. 

(b)  There  is  even  greater  inconsistency  in  the 
position  of  those  who  recognize  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  but  invest  that  day  with  the  character  of  the 
sabbath,  and  keep  the  day  on  the  authority  of  the  law 
of  Moses.  Not  only  has  the  whole  Mosaic  system 
ceased  with  its  sabbath  and  every  requirement  related 
to  that  day;  but  there  could  be  no  consistency  in 
borrowing  even  one  of  the  features  of  the  Jewish  sab- 
bath. This  error  of  borrowing  certain  features  of  the 
Jewish  sabbath  is  committed  by  both  of  these  classes 
of  legalists.  The  law  of  Moses  was  never  subject  to 
a  partial  observance.  It  is  a  unit;  for  "what  things 
soever  the  law  saith,  it  saith  to  them  who  are  under 
the  law;"  and,  "the  man  which  doeth  those  things 
shall  live  by  them;"  and  again,  "cursed,  is  every  one 
that  continueth  not  in  all  things  which  are  written  in 
the  book  of  law  to  do  them."  There  is  no  Scriptural 
warrant  for  a  partial  acceptance  of  the  law,  or  a  par- 
tial recognition  of  its  sabbath  day.  The  observance 
of  the  day  with  all  its  requirements  must  be  perfectly 
kept,  or  not  at  all.  The  slightest  recognition  of  the 


The  Life  under  Grace  269 

least  of  all  the  features  of  the  sabbath  commits  a  per- 
son who  attempts  it  to  keep  the  whole  law.  It  there- 
fore follows  that  the  Christian  who,  while  keeping  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  is  influenced  in  the  slightest 
degree  by  the  law  of  Moses  concerning  a  sabbath  day, 
is,  both  by  Scripture  and  reason,  committed  to  keep 
every  feature  of  the  Jewish  sabbath,  as  well  as  the 
whole  Mosaic  system.  For  example,  the  person  who 
adopts  even  one  feature  of  sabbath  observance  on  the 
ground  that  it  is  enjoined  by  the  law,  is  bound  by 
that  same  sabbath  law  to  stone  to  death  every  person 
who  fails  to  keep  any  feature  of  that  law.  In  fact, 
if  he  himself  had  been  so  guilty  as  to  observe  the  first 
day  of  the  week  in  place  of  the  seventh,  he  must  bow 
to  the  death  penalty,  in  vindication  of  the  righteous 
judgments  of  God.  This  death  penalty  is  the  uncom- 
promising provision  made  in  God's  Word  for  sabbath 
breakers. 

The  original  heresy  of  the  church  was  the  attempted 
admixture  of  law  and  grace  teachings.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  destructive  heresies  of  the  present  hour,  and 
at  no  point  of  contact  do  the  opposing  principles  of 
law  and  grace  become  more  clearly  crystallized  than 
in  the  question  of  the  exact  day  which  is  to  be  ob- 
served. There  is  no  "Christian  Sabbath."  The 
new  day  which  belongs  to  grace  is  in  no  way  related 
to  the  sabbath.  Observance  must  be  either  of  one 
day  or  the  other.  To  co-mingle  them,  as  every  legal- 
ist does,  is  to  frustrate  grace. 

2.    A  new  day  is  divinely  appointed  under  grace. 

This  new  day  is  also  a  particular  day  of  the  week 
and  has  been  given  a  name  which  is  in  accordance 


270 


Grace 


(with  its  character.  Its  divine  appointment  is  first 
recorded  in  a  prophetic  message:  "The  stone  which 
the  builders  refused  is  become  the  head  stone  of  the 
corner.  This  is  the  LORD'S  doing;  it  is  marvellous  in 
our  eyes.  This  is  the  day  which  the  LORD  hath  made ; 
we  will  rejoice  and  be  glad  in  it  (Ps.  118:22-24). 

In  this  Scripture,  both  the  death  and  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ  are  in  view.  He  was  the  rejected 
Stone,  and  His  Father,  through  the  resurrection,  has 
made  Him  the  Head  Stone  of  the  Corner.  The  resur- 
rection was  appointed  to  take  place  on  a  certain  day 
which  the  Lord  had  determined,  and  that  day  was  by 
divine  intention  to  be  celebrated  with  joy  and  glad- 
ness. The  divine  commentary  on  this  passage  is 
given  through  the  Apostle  Peter  as  recorded  in  Acts 
4 : 10,  11 :  * '  Be  it  known  unto  you  all,  and  to  all  the 
people  of  Israel,  that  by  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Nazareth,  whom  ye  crucified,  whom  God  raised  from 
the  dead,  even  by  him  doth  this  man  stand  here  before 
you  whole.  This  is  the  stone  which  was  set  at  nought 
of  you  builders,  which  is  become  the  head  of  the 
corner."  ^-^nr^\jt^^^ 

Therefore  the  day  which  the  Lord  had  appointed 
when  the  rejected  Stone  would  become  the  Head  Stone 
of  the  Corner,  is  the  day  of  His  resurrection.  This 
is  the  "  day  which  the  LORD  hath  made."  It  is  there- 
fore the  Lord's  day.  In  that  day  we  are  to  "rejoice 
and  be  glad."  This  new  day  is  the  day  to  which  the 
Apostle  John  makes  reference  when  he  said,  "I  was 
in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day"  (Rev.  1 : 10).  These 
words  of  John  were  written  fully  sixty  years  after 
the  death  of  Christ  and  at  a  time  when  the  new  day 


The  Life  under  Grace  271 

had  become  the  accepted  day  among  all  believers. 

The  Lord's  day  should  in  no  wise  be  confused  with 
' '  The  Day  of  the  LORQ.  ' '  One  is  the  first  day  of  every 
week,  which  is  observed  as  a  commemoration  of  the 
resurrection  of  Christ.  The  other  is  a  prophetic 
period,  which  is  still  future,  and  which  concerns 
Israel  and  the  whole  creation. 

The  first  Lord's  day  was  the  pattern  of  all  the 
Lord's  days  that  should  follow.  It  began  "very 
early  in  the  morning,"  when  the  risen  Lord  said, 
"All  Hail"  (lit.  rejoice)  !  It  continued  with  His 
precious  fellowship,  and  closed  with  His  benediction 
of  peace.  From  that  early  morning  to  its  close  it  was 
a  day  of  worship,  activity,  and  joy.  The  sabbath, 
on  the  other  hand,  with  no  less  symbolical  significance, 
began  with  the  setting  sun,  which  spoke  of  complete 
cessation  of  activity,  and  of  perfect  rest. 

The  Christian  has  an  unchangeable  day.  He  may 
extend  its  observance  to  all  days,  but  He  cannot 
change  the  one  day,  which  is  divinely  appointed,  any 
more  than  Israel,  or  any  one  else,  could  change  the 
divinely  appointed  seventh  day.  A  change  of  the  first 
day  to  another  breaks  the  symbolic  meaning  of  the 
day  as  it  represents  the  true  relationships  under 
grace.  It  results  in  robbing  Christ  of  that  glory 
which  is  His  alone.  This  is  one  of  the  wrongs  com- 
mitted by  all  those  who  persist  in  an  attempted 
seventh-day  observance.  The  two  days  do  not  present 
an  optional  choice  to  the  Christian.  The  choice  be- 
tween these  days  is  one  which  carries  either  accept- 
ance or  rejection  of  the  most  vital  relationships 
between  Christ  and  the  believer  under  grace. 


272  Grace 

3.    A  new  day  is  indicated  by  important  events. 

Beginning  with  the  resurrection,  and  following  it, 
every  event  recorded  in  the  New  Testament  which  had 
important  religious  significance  fell  on  the  first  day 
of  the  week,  or  the  Lord's  day.  No  greater  emphasis 
through  events  could  be  given  to  this  new  day  than 
that  found  in  the  teachings  of  grace,  and,  added  to 
this,  is  the  fact  that  in  these  same  Scriptures  the  sab- 
bath day  is  wholly  set  aside.  If  it  be  claimed  that 
there  is  no  direct  commandment  for  the  keeping  of 
the  Lord's  day,  it  should  be  observed  that  there  is 
explicit  command  against  the  observance  of  the  sab- 
bath day,  and  that  the  lack  of  commandments  con- 
cerning the  Lord's  day  is  both  in  accordance  with  the 
character  of  the  new  day,  and  the  entire  order  of 
grace  which  it  represents  and  to  which  it  is  related. 
Mention  should  be  made  of  the  great  events  which 
fell  on  the  first  day  of  the  week. 

a.  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  Christ  arose  from 
the  dead.  His  resurrection  is  vitally  related  to  the 
ages  past,  to  the  fulfillment  of  all  prophecy,  to  the 
values  of  His  death,  to  the  Church,  to  Israel,  to  crea- 
tion, to  the  purposes  of  God"  in  grace  which  reach  be- 
yond to  the  ages  16  "come,  and  to  the  eternal  glory  of 
God.  Fulfillment  of  the  eternal  purposes  related  to 
all  of  these  was  dependent  upon  the  coming  forth 
of  the  Son  of  God  from  that  tomb.  He  arose 
from  the  dead,  and  the  greatness  of  that  event 
is  indicated  by  the  importance  of  its  place  in 
Christian  doctrine.  Had  not  Christ  arisen — He  by 
whom  all  things  were  created,  that  are  in  heaven,  and 
that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible,  whether  they 


The  Life  under  Grace  273 

be  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  principalities,  or  powers, 
He  for  whom  things  were  created,  who  is  before  all 
things,  and  by  whom  all  things  consist  (hold  together) 
—every  divine  purpose  and  blessing  would  have 
failed,  yea,  the  very  universe  and  the  throne  of  God 
would  have  dissolved  and  would  have  been  dismissed 
forever.  All  life,  light,  and  hope  would  have  ceased. 
Death,  darkness,  and  despair  would  have  reigned. 
Though  the  spiritual  powers  of  darkness  might  have 
continued,  the  last  hope  for  a  ruined  world  would 
have  been  banished  eternally.  It  is  impossible  for 
the  mind  to  grasp  the  mighty  issues  which  were  at 
stake  at  the  moment  when  Christ  came  forth  from  the 
tomb.  At  no  moment  of  time,  however,  were  these 
great  issues  in  jeopardy.  The  consummation  of  His 
resurrection  was  sure,  for  omnipotent  power  was 
engaged  to  bring  it  to  pass.  Every  feature  of  the 
Christian's  salvation,  position,  and  hope  was  depend- 
ent on  the  resurrection  of  his  Lord.  Very  much  de- 
pended on  the  death  of  Christ,  but  every  value  of 
that  death  would  have  been  sacrificed  apart  from  the 
resurrection.  When  Christ  arose  from  the  dead, 
Christianity  was  born,  and  the  new  creation  was 
brought  into  existence.  There  is  nothing  in  the  old 
order  for  "the  believer.  He  stands  on  resurrection 
ground.  He  belongs  only  to  the  new  creation.  God 
is  faithful  to  all  that  He  has  wrought  in  Christ  and 
He,  according  to  His  Word,  will  not  suffer  the  child 
of  the  new  creation  to  go  back  and  celebrate  the  be- 
ginning of  the  old  and  fallen  creation  from  which 
His  child  has  been  saved  through  infinite  riches  of 
grace.  If  the  children  of  grace  persist  in  relating 
themselves  to  the  old  creation  by  the  observance  of 


274  Grace 


the  sabbath,  it  is  evidence  of  their  limitations  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  Word  and  will  of  God  ;  it  is  to  fall 
from  grace. 

Since  the  day  of  Christ's  resurrection  is  the  day 
in  which  the  new  creation  was  formed,  and  all  that 
enters  into  the  Christian's  life  and  hope  was  brought 
into  being,  both  according  to  Scripture  and  according 
to  reason,  the  Christian  can  celebrate  no  other  day 
than  the  Lord's  day. 

b.  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  Christ  met  His 
disciples  in  the  new  power  and  fellowship  of  His 
resurrection  life. 

c.  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  Christ  symbolized 
the  new  resurrection  fellowship  by  breaking  bread 
with  His  disciples. 

d.  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  He  gave  them  in- 
structions in  their  new  resurrection  ministry  and 
life  for  Him. 

e.  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  He  commanded  the 
disciples  to  preach  the  new  message  to  all  the  world. 

f.  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  Christ  ascended 
into   heaven   as   the   "Wave   Sheaf."     In   fulfilling 
the  Old  Testament  type  and  the  eternal  purpose  of 
God,   it  was  necessary  that   He  should   appear  in 
heaven  as  the  earnest  of  the  mighty  harvest  of  souls 
whom  He  had  redeemed  and  who  came  out  of  that 
tomb  with  Him  to  share  His  eternal  life  and  glory. 
So,  also,  He  must,  having  accomplished  the  sacrifice 
for  sin,   present   His  own   blood   in   heaven    (Lev. 
16:1-34;  Heb.  9:16-28).    Having  not  yet  ascended, 
He  said  to  Mary,  "Touch  me  not;  for  I  am  not  yet 
ascended  to  my  Father:  but  go  to  my  brethren  and 
say  unto  them,  I  ascend  unto  my  father,  and  your 


The  Life  under  Grace  275 

Father;  and  to  my  God,  and  your  God"  (John 
20:17).  How  little  the  mighty  import  of  this  mes- 
sage from  Christ  was  understood  then,  and  how  little 
it  is  understood  even  now!  That  He  ascended  on 
that  day  is  evident;  for  He  said  unto  them  at  eve- 
ning of  that  day,  "Behold  my  hands  and  my  feet,  that 
it  is  I  myself:  handle  me,  and  see"  (Lk.  24:39). 
He  had  ascended  to  heaven,  accomplished  His  work 
there,  and  returned  to  earth  to  complete  His  post- 
resurrection  ministry. 

g.  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  He  breathed  on 
His  disciples  and  imparted  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them. 

h.  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  the  Spirit  descen- 
ded to  take  up  His  age-characterizing  ministries  in 
the  world. 

i.  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  the  Apostle  Paul 
preached  to  the  assembled  believers  at  Troas.  The 
Spirit  of  God  has  distinctly  emphasized  the  fact  that 
the  Apostle  was  in  Troas  seven  days.  Of  necessity, 
then,  the  stay  in  that  city  included  both  a  seventh 
day  and  a  first  day  of  the  week.  The  Apostle  was 
thus  free  to  choose  either  day  for  his  public  ministry 
to  the  assembled  saints.  The  record  reads:  "We 
.  .  .  came  unto  them  to  Troas  .  .  .  where  we  abode 
seven  days.  And  upon  the  first  clay  of  the  weekj 
when  the  disciples  came  together  to  break  bread,  Paul 
preached  unto  them"  (Acts  20:  6,  7). 

j.  The  Apostle  commanded  the  Corinthian  be- 
liever to  "lay  by  him  in  store,"  on  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  "as  God  hath  prospered  him"  (1  Cor. 
16:2). 

k.  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  Christ  appeared 
to  John  on  Patmos  in  that  revelation  of  Himself  in 


276  Grace 

all  His   present  resurrection,   heavenly   glory.    He 
appeared  to  John  on  the  Lord's  day. 

4.  The  new  day  typifies  the  new  creation. 

The  rite  of  circumcision,  being  accomplished  on 
the  eighth  day,  was  a  suggestion  of  the  spiritual  cir- 
cumcision of  the  flesh  which  Christ  wrought  by  His 
death  and  resurrection.  The  eighth  day  was  the  first 
day  following  a  completed  week.  It  is  thus  a  pic- 
ture of  that  new  order  which  came  through  the  death 
and  resurreqtion  of  Christ.  The  Apostle  writes: 
"In  whom  also  ye  are  circumcised  with  the  circum- 
cision made  without  hands,  in  putting  off  the  body  of 
the  sins  of  the  flesh  by  the  circumcision  of  Christ" 
(Col.  2:11).  Not  only  has  the  old  nature  been 
judged  in  the  crucifixion,  death,  and  burial  of  the 
Son  of  God,  and  the  new  victory  in  the  resurrection 
life  of  Christ  been  made  possible;  but,  for  the  be- 
liever, the  old  creation  went  into  that  tomb  and  a  new 
creation  with  its  heavenly  power  and  glory  came  out. 
The  old  creation  was  abolished  and  with  it  the  sab- 
bath which  commemorated  it.  Only  a  new  standing 
in  the  resurrected  Christ  abides  and  this  both  de- 
mands and  provides  a  new  day.  That  new  day  is  the 
eighth  day,  or  the  first  day  following  the  ending  of 
the  old  creation. 

5.  The  new  day  is  typical  of  unmerited  grace. 

The  first  day  of  the  week  is  a  type  of  the  facts  and 
relationships  which  are  under  grace;  while  the 
seventh  day  is  a  type  of  the  facts  and  relationships 
which  are  under  the  law.  On  the  seventh  day  man 
rested  from  all  his  work.  This  is  in  harmony  with 


The  Life  under  Grace  277 

the  law  covenant  of  works,  which  required  a  man 
to  do  good  in  order  that  he  might  receive  the  bless- 
ing of  God.  Under  the  law,  six  days  of  faithful 
labor  are  followed  by  one  day  of  absolute  rest.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  observance  of  the  first  day  of  the 
week  is  typical  of  the  believer's  position  under  un- 
merited grace.  He  begins  with  a  day  of  blessing 
before  any  works  are  wrought,  and  then  he  is  ex- 
pected lo  live  the  following  six  days  in  the  power  and 
blessing  he  has  received  on  that  day.  This  is  the 
order  of  the  grace  covenant  of  faith  in  which  all 
saving  grace  is  first  bestowed  as  a  gift  from  God, 
and  is  then  followed  by  a  life  which  is  lived  in  the 
power  of  that  new  relationship  with  God.  A  day 
of  rest  belonged  to  a  people  who  were  related  to 
God  by  works  which  were  to  be  accomplished.  A 
day  of  ceaseless  worship  and  service  belongs  to  a 
people  who  are  related  to  God  by  the  finished  work 
of  Christ.  The  seventh  day  was  governed  by  an  un- 
yielding, ironclad  law.  The  first  day  is  characterized 
by  the  latitude  and  liberty  belonging  to  grace.  The 
seventh  day  was  observed  with  the  hope  that  by 
it  one  might  be  accepted  of  God.  The  first  day  is 
observed  with  the  assurance  that  one  is  already  ac- 
cepted of  God.  The  keeping  of  the  seventh  day  was 
wrought  by  the  flesh.  The  keeping  of  the  first  day 
is  to  be  wrought  by  the  indwelling  Spirit. 

6.  The  new  day  began  to  be  observed  with  the 
resurrection  of  Christ. 

It  is  claimed  by  a  certain  group  of  Sabbatarians 
that  the  sabbath  was  kept  by  the  early  church  until 
the  day  was  changed  by  the  Emperor  Constantine  in 


278  Grace 


the  year  321  A.  D.,  or  even  later  by  the  Pope  of  Rome. 
There  is  no  ground  for  this  erroneous  and  misleading 
teaching.  The  sabbath  was  never  changed.  It  could 
not  be.  A  new  and  far  different  day  in  significance, 
which  alone  could  belong  to  this  age  of  grace,  super- 
seded it.  When  this  age  is  completed  and  law  reigns 
again  in  the  earth,  the  sabbath  will  be  observed ;  but 
in  no  wise  will  man  have  changed  the  day.  There  is 
conclusive  evidence  that  the  first  day  of  the  week  has 
been  observed  by  the  church  from  the  very  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ.  This  evidence  is  found  both  (a)  in 
the  Scriptures  and  (b)  in  the  writings  of  the  early 
fathers : 

(a)  Turning  to  the  Epistles  of  the  New  Testament, 
wherein  is  conditioned  the  believer's  life  under  grace, 
we  discover  that  there  is  prohibition  against  the  ob- 
servance of  a  sabbath  day,  and  that  there  is  not  one 
record  that  any  Christian  kept  a  sabbath  day,  even  in 
error.     On  the  other  hand,  there  is  abundant  evi- 
dence, as  has  been  seen,  that  the  first  day  of  the  week 
was  observed  in  the  manner  consistent  with  its  signif- 
icance. 

(b)  The  testimony  from  the  early  fathers  is  also 
conclusive.1 

Eusebius,  315  A.  D.,  says:  "The  churches  through- 
out the  rest  of  the  world  observe  the  practice  that 
has  prevailed  from  Apostolic  tradition  until  the 
present  time  so  that  it  would  not  be  proper  to  term- 
inate our  fast  on  any  other  day  but  the  resurrection 
day  of  our  Saviour.  Hence  there  were  synods  and 

i  These  quotations  from  the  early  fathers  are  taken  from 
Bowman's  Historical  Evidence  of  the  New  Testament,  Pgs. 
130-135;  The  Encylopedia  Britannica  under  "Sunday;"  and 
Mosheim's  "Ecclesiastical  History,"  Vol.  I.  Pg.  135. 


The  Life  under  Grace  279 

convocations  of  our  Bishops  on  this  question  and 
all  unanimously  drew  up  an  ecclesiastical  decree 
which  they  communicated  to  churches  in  all  places — 
that  the  mystery  of  the  Lord's  resurrection  should 
be  celebrated  on  no  other  than  the  Lord's  Day." 

Peter,  Bishop  of  Alexandria,  300  A.  D.,  says:  "We 
keep  the  Lord's  Day  as  a  day  of  joy  because  of  him 
who  rose  thereon." 

Cyprian,  Bishop  of  Carthage,  253  A. D.,  says: 
"The  Lord's  Day  is  both  the  1st,  and  the  8th  day." 

Tertullian,  of  Carthage,  200  A.  D.,  says,  speaking  of 
the  "sun-worshippers":  "Though  we  share  with 
them  Sunday,  we  are  not  apprehensive  lest  we  seem 
to  be  heathen." 

Clement  of  Alexandria,  194  A.  D.,  says:  "The  old 
sabbath  day  has  become  nothing  more  than  a  working 
day." 

Irenaeus,  Bishop  of  Lyons,  178  A. D.,  says:  "The 
mystery  of  the  Lord's  resurrection  may  not  be  cele- 
brated on  any  other  day  than  the  Lord 's  Day. ' ' 

Bardesanes,  160  A.  D.,  says:  "Wherever  we  be,  all 
of  us  are  called  by  the  one  name  of  the  Messiah, 
namely  Christians,  and  upon  one  day,  which  is  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  we  assemble  ourselves  together 
and  on  the  appointed  days  we  abstain  from  food. ' ' 

Justin  Martyr,  135  A.  D.,  says:  "Sunday  is  the  day 
upon  which  we  all  hold  our  communion  assembly, 
because  it  is  the  first  day  on  which  God  having 
wrought  a  change  in  the  darkness  and  matter  made 
the  world  and  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour,  on  that  day, 
rose  from  the  dead  and  on  the  day  called  Sunday  all 
who  live  in  cities  or  in  the  country  gather  together  in 
one  place  and  the  memoirs  of  the  Apostles,  or  the 


280  Grace 

writings  of  the  prophets  are  read  as  long  as  time  per- 
mits." "On  the  Lord's  Day  all  Christians  in  the 
city  or  country  meet  together  because  that  is  the  day 
of  our  Lord's  resurrection;  and  then  we  read  the 
apostles  and  prophets.  This  being  done,  the  president 
makes  an  oration  to  the  assembly  exhorting  them  to 
imitate  and  to  practice  the  things  which  they  have 
heard,  and  then  we  all  join  in  prayer,  and  after  that 
we  celebrate  the  Lord's  Supper." 

Ignatius,  Bishop  of  Antioch,  110  A.  D.,  says:  "If 
then  those  who  walked  in  the  ancient  practices  attain 
unto  newness  of  hope  no  longer  observing  sabbaths, 
but  fashioning  their  lives  after  the  Lord's  Day,  on 
which  our  life  also  arose  through  him,  that  we  may 
be  found  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  only  teacher." 

Barnabas,  one  of  the  Apostolic  fathers,  writing  70 
A.  D.,  says:  "Finally  He  saith,  'Your  present  sabbaths 
are  not  acceptable  to  me.  I  shall  make  a  new  begin- 
ning of  the  eighth  day,  that  is  the  beginning  of  an- 
other world,'  wherefore  also  we  keep  the  Lord's  Day 
with  joy  fulness,  the  day  also  on  which  Jesus  rose  from 
the  dead." 

;Also,  the  "Didache  of  the  Apostles"  70  A.  D.,  says: 
'On  the  Lord's  own  Day  gather  yourselves  together 
md  break  bread  and  give  thanks." 

By  this  line  of  unbroken  testimony  the  evidence 
concerning  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  is  car- 
ried back  to  the  days  of  the  writings  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment. It  is  quite  true  that  Emperors  and  Popes  have 
made  decrees  regarding  the  first  day  of  the  week. 
Everything  was  done  that  could  be  done  to  persecute 
the  Jew,  and  to  abolish  Jewish  practices ;  but  the  Jew- 


The  Life  under  Grace  281 

ish  sabbath  passed,  and  the  new  day  came  to  be,  not 
by  the  decree  of  man,  but  by  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
which  brought  in  all  that  the  Lord's  day  signifies. 

7.    The  new  day  has  been  blessed  of  God 

Christians  have  observed  the  Lord's  day  under  the 
evident  blessing  of  God  for  nearly  2000  years.  Among 
them  have  been  the  most  devout  believers,  the  mar- 
tyrs, the  missionaries,  and  a  countless  throng  of  those 
who  would  have  passed  through  any  trial  or  persecu- 
tion to  know  and  do  the  will  of  God.  It  is  a  very 
serious  charge  to  say  that  all  these  faithful  saints 
have  been  disobedient,  or  as  some  Sabbatarians  now 
call  all  Christians  who  do  not  keep  sabbath,  "  here- 
tics," "deceivers,"  "having  the  mark  of  the  Beast," 
and  "blinded  by  Satan."  The  Gospel  of  grace  is  by 
these  people  substituted  by  "another  gospel"  which 
is  to  the  effect  that  only  those  who  keep  the  sabbath 
will  be  saved,  and  they  also  teach  that  God  has  "for- 
saken His  church"  and  that  she  is  "abandoned  to 
Satan  who  rules  her."  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  God 
has  never  once  imposed  the  sabbath  upon  the  age  of 
grace,  they  make  the  preaching  of  the  sabbath  their 
major  theme,  and  in  seeming  bitterness,  do  not  hesi- 
tate to  hinder  the  good  works  of  all  who  love  and  keep 
the  Lord's  day.  Along  with  the  error  of  preaching 
the  law  in  place  of  the  Gospel,  these  Sabbatarians  hold 
and  teach  other  misleading  heresies  and  unbiblical 
doctrines.  Being  so  much  in  error  concerning  many 
fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  it  is  not  strange 
that  they  persist  in  sabbath  legality. 

The  reasons  for  keeping  the  Lord's  day,  or  the  first 


282  Grace 

day  of  the  week,  are  clear  and  sufficient  to  those  who 
will  receive  the  teachings  of  God's  Word  without 
prejudice. 

Second.  The  Biblical  Observance  of  the  Lord's 
Day. 

The  manner  in  which  the  first  day  of  the  week 
should  be  observed  is  clearly  indicated  by  the  very 
name  which  is  given  to  it  in  the  Scriptures.  Being 
the  Lord's  day,  it  is  to  be  lived  in  that  manner  which 
will  most  "honor  and  glorify  the  Lord.  Whatever  en- 
ters into  the  present  relationship  between  the  believer 
and  his  Lord,  such  as  prayer,  joyful  worship,  and 
service,  will  naturally  characterize  the  observance  of 
the  day.  Particular  care  should  be  exercised  that  no 
element  of  a  Jewish  sabbath  be  incorporated  into  the 
manner  of  the  keeping  of  the  Lord's  day.  Not  only 
does  such  an  intrusion  create  confusion  in  the  mind 
as  to  the  meaning  and  purpose  of  the  day,  but  it  is 
a  co-mingling  of  the  elements  of  law  and  grace,  and 
this,  it  is  certain,  is  not  according  to  the  mind  of  God. 
The  two  days  are  similar  only  in  one  respect:  they 
both  sustain  the  ratio  of  one  particular  day  in  seven. 
There  is  not  the  slightest  reason  for  any  combination 
of  their  respective  features.  Should  this  exhortation 
to  watchfulness  lest  these  days  be  confused  seem  to  be 
extreme,  it  should  be  remembered  that  only  thus  can 
a  believer  stand  fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ 
has  made  him  free,  and  not  be  entangled  again  in  a 
yoke  of  bondage.  Only  thus  can  he  be  saved  from 
violating  the  most  precious  aspect  of  his  own  relation 
to  God  under  grace,  and  from  disregarding  the  most 
vital  injunctions  of  those  Scriptures  which  condition 


The  Life  under  Grace  283 

his  life  tinder  grace.  Christians  have  been  saved  from 
the  curse  of  the  law  by  the  death  of  Christ  (Gal. 
3 : 13) .  This  marvelous  deliverance  has  cost  the  sacri- 
fice of  the  Son  of  God,  and  it  cannot  be  an  unimpor- 
tant issue  in  the  mind  of  God.  The  believer  who 
would  really  keep  the  day  in  conformity  to  the  re- 
vealed will  of  his  Lord,  should  duly  consider  the  fact 
that  every  aspect  of  sabbath  observance  is  purely 
legal,  and  related  only  to  law,  and  that  Christ  has 
died  to  save  him  from  any  complicity  with  the  law. 
The  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  as  recorded  in  the 
New  Testament,  is  free  from  every  relationship  to  the 
Jewish  sabbath. 

/  When  contemplating  the  Scriptural  observance  of 

/the  Lord's  day,  three  considerations  arise:  (1)  It  be- 

/  longs  to  a  particular  people ;  (2)  it  is  not  subject  to 

I  rules;  and  (3)  its  observance  is  not  limited  to  one 

\day. 

1.     The  Lord's  day  belongs  to  a  particular  people. 

As  the  sabbath  under  the  law  belonged  only  to  the 
nation  Israel,  so,  in  like  manner,  the  new  day  in  grace 
belongs  only  to  those  who  are  regenerated  by  the 
Spirit.  In  arriving  at  the  full  force  of  this  state- 
ment, it  should  be  noted : 

a.  The  Lord's  day,  like  every  other  aspect  of 
grace,  is  an  appeal  to  the  individual  believer  only. 

As  men  are  now  saved  by  a  personal  faith,  and 
afterwards  their  service  is  in  the  power  of  an  indi- 
vidual gift  by  the  Spirit,  they  walk  alone  in  the 
Spirit,  and  they  receive  their  own  reward  for  faith- 
fulness to  God.  In  conformity  with  this  truth,  there- 


284  Grace 

fore,  the  observance  of  the  day  is  to  be  personal.  The 
exact  manner  of  its  observance  is  a  matter  between 
the  individual  believer  and  his  Lord.  The  Scriptures 
presuppose  that  the  believer  is  a  normal  Christian  to 
the  extent  that  he  is  yielded  to  God  and  walking  in 
the  Spirit,  that  it  will  be  his  delight  to  do  the  will  of 
God,  and  to  rejoice  above  all  else  in  the  larger  free- 
dom which  the  Lord's  day  affords  for  worship  and 
service.  If  perchance  he  is  not  thus  yielded  to  God, 
no  forced,  outward  observance  of  the  day  will  correct 
his  carnal  heart,  nor  would  such  an  observance  of  a 
day  be  pleasing  to  God. 

No  day  has  been  committed  to  the  Church  as  a 
body.  Apart  from  the  two  exceptions  that  the  be- 
liever is  to  consider  his  possible  influence  upon  a 
weaker  brother,  and  his  own  conduct  in  the  light  of 
expediency,  the  day  is  to  be  observed  by  the  indi- 
vidual out  of  the  fullness  of  his  own  heart.  Beyond 
thisjthere  are  no  rules,  nor  could  there  be ;  for  apart 
from  this  there  is  no  possibility  of  continuing  in  those 
exact  relationships  which  belong  to  grace.  Concern- 
ing the  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  the  Apostle  said : 
"Let  every  man  [Christian]  be  fully  persuaded  in 
his  own  mind"  (Rom.  14:  5). 

b.     The  Lord's  day  is  not  for  the  unregenerate. 

The  unsaved  sustain  no  relation  to  the  Lord's  day, 
since  that  day  belongs  only  to  the  new  creation,  and 
therefore  the  pressing  of  the  observance  of  a  relig- 
ious day  upon  the  individual  who  is  unsaved,  is  mis- 
leading in  the  extreme ;  for  it  tends  to  the  utter  con- 
fusion of  the  Gospel  of  grace.  God  is  not  calling  on 
the  unsaved  to  keep  a  day  to  which  they  could  in  no 


The  Life  under  Grace  285 

way  be  related.  The  issue  between  God  and  the  sinner 
is  the  one  issue  which  the  new  Gospel  of  grace  has 
raised  and  imposed.  It  is  a  question  as  to  whether  he 
will  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  unto  forgiveness 
and  eternal  life.  The  person  who  observes  a  day 
while  rejecting  Christ  as  Saviour,  is  no  nearer  salva- 
tion or  acceptance  with  God  than  he  would  otherwise 
be.  That  supposed  merit,  gained  by  keeping  a  day, 
may  be  the  one  thing  that  hinders  him  from  discover- 
ing Christ  as  the  Saviour  for  a  meritless  sinner.  Men 
are  not  saved  by  any  works  whatsoever,  and  any 
teaching  which  misdirects  them  at  this  point  is 
"another  gospel"  and  subject  to  the  anathema  of 
God  (Gal.  1:8).  If  the  motive  in  pressing  the  re- 
ligious observance  of  a  day  upon  the  unregenerate  be 
for  the  moral  and  civic  good  of  the  community,  the 
question  should  be  answered  as  to  whether  the  moral 
and  civic  betterment  of  the  world  is  more  important 
than  the  salvation  of  men. 

c.    The  Lord's  day  is  not  a  national  day. 

When  a  day  is  imposed  upon  the  nation  it  is,  with- 
out exception,  upon  the  authority  of  the  Jewish  sab- 
bath of  rest,  and  not  on  the  authority  of  anything 
which  obtains  in  the  new  creation.  The  error  of  this 
legalism  needs  no  further  exposition.  God  is  certainly 
not  imposing  a  legal  sabbath  on  any  nation,  or  the 
world,  when  He  has  given  His  Son  to  remove  that 
whole  law-curse  and  to  place  men  where  they  might 
be  saved  apart  from  works  of  their  own.  In  this  age 
God  is  represented  as  dealing  with  the  individual 
only.  In  matters  of  human  government,  it  is  the 
"times  of  the  Gentiles,"  with  all  that  is  involved,  and 


286  Grace 

no  individual  or  nation  is  now  accepted  of  God  on  the 
basis  of  human  works. 

It  is  most  imperative  that  a  day  of  rest  for  man 
and  beast  be  maintained  byjejvie  authority.  No  in- 
telligent person  could  vote  otherwise;  but  the  day 
should  be  enforced  as  all  other  humanitarian  laws 
and  other  portions  of  the  Decalogue  are  enforced,  and 
not  as  a  meritorious  religious  observance.  At  any 
cost  the  sabbath-observance  stumbling-stone  should  be 
kept  from  the  path  of  the  unsaved. 

d.    The  Lord's  day  and  the  children. 

The  question  often  arises  in  the  Christian  home  t*s 
to  the  manner  in  which  the  Lord's  day  should  be 
observed  by  children.  Upon  this  subject  a  suggestion 
may  be  advanced :  Until  he  is  of  age,  the  child  is  prop- 
erly under  the  direction  of  the  parents  and  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  home.  He  should  live  in  conformity 
to  the  wishes  and  customs  of  the  parents,  but  it  is 
vitally  important  that  the  child  shouIcTblr brought  to 
know  Christ  as  a  Saviour  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment.  Then  the  Lord's  day  becomes  to  him  a 
matter  of  his  own  privilege  and  personal  delight,  and 
not  a  law  prescribed  by  the  parents.  Care  should  be 
taken,  as  well,  that  the  day  of  grace  should  not  be- 
come a  subject  of  dislike  and  prejudice  in  the  mind 
of  the  child. 

2.    The  Lord's  day  is  not  subject  to  rules. 

Such  is  the  character  of  all  the  teachings  of  grace, 
and  at  this  point  the  grace  teachings  are  wholly  in 
contrast  to  the  teachings  of  all  law.  The  law  contem- 
plated the  people  to  whom  it  was  addressed  as  being 


The  Life  under  Grace  287 

children  and  thus  subject  to  ''tutors  and  governors." 
Every  detail  of  their  prescribed  life  was  a  matter  of 
explicit  law.  The  flesh  was  in  no  way  depended  upon 
to  direct  itself.  The  believer  under  grace  is  an  adult, 
son  in  the  Father's  house,  with  the  wider  latitude 
which  belongs  to  the  full-grown,  self-responsible  man. 
Therefore  the  teachings  of  grace  are  not  explicit  as  to 
detail.  They  anticipate  the  immediate  inner  judg- 
ment by  the  indwelling  Spirit.  Under  grace,  great 
principles  are  announced,  but  the  outworking  of  those 
principles  is  to  be  according  to  the  leading  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  individual.  Liberality  is  enjoined,  but 
the  object  and  amount  of  the  gift  is  a  matter  of 
prayerful  dependence  on  the  Spirit.  As  to  service, 
every  Christian  is  to  be  instant  in  season  and  out  of 
season,  but  the  gifts  for  service  and  the  manner  and 
place  of  their  exercise  is  "as  he  will."  Prayer  is  to 
be  offered  without  ceasing,  but  we  know  not  what  to 
pray  for  as  we  ought.  However  in  this  again,  the 
Spirit  helpeth  our  infirmities  and  He  maketh  inter- 
cession for  us  according  to  the  mind  of  God.  The 
believer's  life  under  grace  is  a  "walk  in  the  Spirit." 
Step  by  step,  every  detail  is  to  be  wrought  in  the 
heart  by  the  Spirit,  and  there  are  no  more  detail- 
rules  for  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  than  for 
the  outworking  of  any  other  responsibility  or  privi- 
lege under  grace.  The  flesh  is  not  now  to  be  controlled 
by  laws ;  but  by  the  Lordship  of  the  Spirit.  Not  hav- 
ing specific  rules  for  the  keeping  of  the  Christian's 
day,  and  not  duly  considering  the  divine  provision 
for  a  spiritual  life  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  men, 
hoping  to  keep  control  of  the  flesh,  have  turned  to  the 
Jewish  sabbath  laws  and  forced  them  onto  the  Lord's 


288  Grace 

day.  In  so  doing,  they  have  repudiated  one  of  the 
most  vital  accomplishments  of  the  death  of  Christ, 
they  have  robbed  believers  of  their  liberty  in  grace, 
and,  so  far  as  their  influence  goes,  they  have  degraded 
the  full-grown  sons  of  God  to  the  level  of  mere  chil- 
dren who  are  under  ' '  tutors  and  governors. ' ' 

The  real  question  is  not,  How  shall  we  preserve  the 
sacredness  of  the  day  unless  we  have  Jaws  and  enforce 
them?  It  is  rather,  can  the  believer,  to  whom  the 
day  belongs,  be  trusted,  when  filled  with  the  Spirit,  to 
glorify  God  on  the  Lord's  day?  Evidently  there  will 
be  no  failure  to  observe  the  day  on  the  part  of  the 
Spirit-filled  believer.  But  what  of  the  great  company 
of  carnal  Christians?  Should  they  not  be  held  by 
laws  to  the  keeping  of  the  day  ?  In  reply  to  this  im- 
portant question  it  should  be  stated :  The  position  of 
a  carnal  Christian  is  different  from  that  of  the  un- 

\saved.  The  Lord's  day  belongs  to  the  Christian,  but 
it  does  not  belong  to  the  unregenerate.  The  Christian 
alone  faces  the  problem  related  to  the  Lord's  day. 
The  problem,  therefore,  resolves  itself  into  this:  Is 
God  satisfied  when  the  Christian's  life  is  merely  a 
forced,  outward  conformity  to  unpleasant  ideals? 
The  answer  is  obvious.  One  of  the  essential  glories 
of  grace  is  that  God-honoring  manner  of  life  which 
is  an  outflow  and  overflow  of  the  heart.  No  painful 
observance  of  law  will  ever  correct  a  carnal  heart. 
The  cure  is  found  only  in  the  right  adjustment  of  the 
heart  to  the  Spirit.  Too  often  the  Christian  life  is 
presented  as  being  a  matter  of  observing  certain  rules 
and  sustaining  a  superficial  outward  conduct,  to  the 
neglect  of  the  divinely  provided,  victorious,  overflow- 
ing life  in  the  Spirit.  Notwithstanding  the  conster- 


The  Life  under  Grace  289 

nation  of  the  untaught  legalist  who  proposes  to  regu- 
late Christian  conduct  by  precept,  the  truth  stands 
that  the  Lord's  day  imposes  no  rules,  and  yields  to  no 
law.  True  to  grace,  there  are,  however,  certain  well- 
defined  principles  to  be  stated : 

a.  It,  being  the  Lord's  day,  is  to  ~be  lived  well- 
pleasing  to  Him. 

This  principle  is  the  embodiment  of  all  other  prin- 
ciples related  to  the  keeping  of  the  Lord's  day;  but 
the  detail  of  this  heaven-high  ideal,  as  has  been  seen, 
cannot  be  determined  by  rules,  nor  can  it  ever  be 
wrought  by  the  flesh.  There  is  but  one  exception :  It 
has  pleased  the  Lord  to  give  minute  instruction  as  to 
the  manner  of  the  observance  of  His  memorial  supper. 

b.  The  Lord's  day  celebrates  the  resurrection  of 
Christ. 

If  this  be  true,  then  all  obligation  to  observe  the 
day  of  rest,  which  is  related  to  the  old  creation,  is 
excluded.  The  day  is  to  be  celebrated  in  the  new  life 
and  service  of  the  resurrected  Christ. 

c.  The  Lord's  day  yields  to  no  law* 

Like  all  law,  the  law  of  a  certain  day  has  been  kept 
and  fulfilled  for  the  believer  by  Christ.  There  re- 
mains for  the  believer  only  overflowing  praise  and 
joyful  service.  The  element  of  necessity  has  likewise 
passed.  Men  are  not  compelled  to  keep  a  day  to  be 
accepted  of  God.  They,  if  saved,  are  already  ac- 
cepted "in  the  beloved."  The  day  should  be  kept 
because  of  perfection  in  Christ,  and  not  unto  per- 
fection in  Christ. 


290  Grace 

d.  It  is  a  day  of  personal  delight. 

When  the  Lord 's  day  becomes  a  burden  to  the  indi- 
vidual, to  him  it  is  no  longer  a  day  of  grace.  It  is 
characterized  by  that  attitude  of  heart  which  delights 
to  do  the  will  of  God.  When  this  day  was  prophetic- 
ally announced,  it  was  said:  "This  is  the  day  which 
the  LORD  hath  made;  we  will  rejoice  and  be  glad  in 
it."  So,  also,  the  first  word  from  the  lips  of  the 
resurrected  Christ  on  the  morning  of  His  resurrection 
was,  "All  hail!"  (The  word  here  is  chair o,  and 
means  rejoice,  or,  O  joy!.}  The  Lord's  day  should 
be  celebrated  in  the  fullest  experience  of  the  "joy  of 
the  Lord." 

e.  The  Lord's  day  is  a  day  for  the  largest  Chris- 
tian activity. 

The  risen  Lord  revealed  the  character  of  the  day  on 
that  same  early  morning  when  He  said:  "Go  tell." 
This  is  the  obligation  toward  the  new  evangel,  the  giv- 
ing of  which  is  to  occupy  every  believer.  As  the  Old 
Testament  priests  went_jm  to  perform  a  sacrifice,  the 
New  Testament  priests, — all  believers  under  grace, — 
are  to  go  out  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  to  tell  of  the 
sacrifice  which  has  been  performed.  The  Lord's  day 
is  not  a  day  for  selfish  entertainment  or  amusement. 
It  is  not  a  day  for  idleness  and  rest.  Its  privileges 
should  be,  and  will  be,  preserved  by  all  who  delight 
to  do  His  will.  It  becomes  an  opportunity  for  many 
who  are  held  by  secular  work  during  the  days  of  the 
week,  to  offer  the  fuller  service  of  prayer,  worship, 
and  testimony  which  belongs  to  their  Lord.  The  in- 
structed Christian  no  longer  labors  to  be  accepted  of 


/ 


The  Life  under  Grace  291 

God,  which  was  the  obligation  under  the  law ;  but  he, 
being  accepted  in  grace,  labors  to  glorify  his  Lord  who 
eaves  him.  He  has  ceased  from  his  own  works,  and 
though  ceaselessly  active,  is  working  in  the  power  and 
energy  of  the  Spirit.  His  activity  is  not  limited  to 
one  day,  or  to  six  days:  it  is  "in  season  and  out  of 
season"  according  to  the  mind  and  will  of  the  Spirit. 
Spirit-filled  believers  have  always  violated  every  fea- 
ture of  a  strict  Jewish  sabbath  of  rest  when  serving 
as  ' '  able  ministers  of  the  new  convenant. ' '  If  led  of 
the  Spirit  thus  to  serve,  the  resulting  violation  of  the 
sabbath  is  in  reality  the  work  of  the  Spirit.  It  would 
be  a  herculean  task,  indeed,  to  attempt  to  prove  that 
all  Christian jseryice  and jafitivity  exercised  on  the  first 
day  of  the  week  for  nineteen  centuries  has  been  offen- 
sive to  God  because  it  violated  the  demands  of  a  sab- 
bath of  rest,  or  that  the  neglect  of  the  seventh  day  by 
all  the  believers  of  the  Christian  era,  has,  in  the  mind 
of  God,  merited  the  penalty  of  death.  Yet  this  is 
the  logical  charge  to  be  made  against  all  these  believ- 
ers unless  it  be  admitted  that  they  had  individually 
entered,  as  a  prerequisite  to  service,  into  the  sabbath 
rest  of  that  which  is  finished  forever  in  the  cross. 

f.  The  Lord's  day  observance  is  to  be  governed 
by  the  law  of  expediency,  and  the  law  of  love. 

The  law  of  expediency  permits  the  undertaking  on 
the  Lord's  day  of  only  those  things  which  are  advis- 
able, advantageous,  and  suitable.  Judgment  in  these 
things  should  be  formed  only  in  view  of  the  Biblical 
teachings  concerning  the  Lord's  day  responsibility, — 
not  the  Jewish  sabbath, — and  in  view  of  the  need  of 
others,  and  the  possible  influence  which  any  partic- 


292  Grace 

ular  action  might  have  upon  others.  The  Christian 
objective  is  not  a  slavish  conformity  to  certain  laws 
governing  a  day.  It  is  concerned  rather  with  the 
question  as  to  what  will  most  glorify  Christ  and  ad- 
vance the  cause  of  His  saving  grace  in  the  earth. 

When  adjusted  to  the  law  of  love,  the  Christian 
will  not  exercise  his  own  liberty  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  hinder  and  offend  a  weaker  brother  who  through 
false  teaching  has  developed  a  conscience  toward  a 
'Jewish  sabbath,  nor  will  he  rob  others  of  the  exercise 
of  their  own  worship  and  service.  Such  issues  have 
to  be  given  due  consideration  when  dealing  with  all 
questions  of  travel  and  of  relationship  to  those  who 
serve. 

3.  The  manner  of  the  observance  of  the  Lord's 
day  may  be  extended  to  all  days. 

The  Lord's  day  observance  alone  is  capable  of  being 
extended  to  all  days;  for  in  no  wise  could  a  Jewish 
sabbath  be  thus  extended.  It  is  evident,  therefore, 
that  the  Apostle's  reference  to  the  keeping  of  a  day, 
as  found  in-Rom,  14:  1-12;  is  a  reference  to  the  Lord's 
day  and  not  to  a  sabbath  day.  He  writes:  "Who  art 
thou  that  judgest  another  man's  servant?  to  his  own 
master  he  standeth  or  falleth.  Yea,  he  shall  be 
holden  up:  for  God  is  able  to  make  him  stand. 
One  man  esteemeth  one  day  above  another:  another 
esteemeth  every  day  alike.  Let  every  man  be  fully 
persuaded  in  his  own  mind.  He  that  regardeth  the 
day,  regardeth  it  unto  the  Lord ;  and  he  that  regard- 
eth not  the  day,  to  the  Lord  he  doth  not  regard  it.  ... 
For  we  shall  all  stand  before  the  judgment  seat  of 


The  Life  under  Grace  293 

Christ.  ...  So  then  every  one  of  us  shall  give  an 
account  of  himself  to  God." 

The  primary  teaching  of  this  passage  puts  the  em- 
phasis on  the  fact  that  Christian  conduct  is  largely  a 
matter  to  be  settled  between  the  believer  and  his  Lord. 
There  need  be  no  fear;  "God  is  able  to  make  him 
stand. ' '  The  passage  might  be  understood  as  present- 
ing a  contrast  between  a  man  who  keeps  one  day,  and 
a  man  who  keeps  no  day  at  all.  In  such  a  case,  God 
will  deal  with  the  wrong  in  His  child,  if  wrong  there 
be.  In  attempting  to  adjust  such  a  situation,  men 
might  compel  the  erring  one  to  observe  a  day,  or,  as  a 
penalty  for  failure,  exclude  him  from  their  fellow- 
ship. The  divine  method  is  to  change  the  heart. 
This  God  alone  can  do. 

But  in  this  particular  instance  it  will  be  observed 
that  concerning  the  man  of  whom  it  is  said  that  he 
does  not  regard  the  day,  it  is  also  said  that  "unto  the 
Lord  he  doth  not  regard  it."  It  is  as  much  a  matter 
of  devotion  to  God  in  the  case  of  the  one  man  as  it  is 
in  the  case  of  the  other.  It  is  therefore  probable  that 
the  contrast  is  between  the  man  who  keeps  one  day 
as  unto  the  Lord,  and  another  man  who  keeps  all  days 
as  unto  the  Lord.  There  must  be  sufficient  room  in 
the  Christian  fellowship  for  these  two  equally  sincere 
men  to  live  in  joyful  companionship  in  Christ.  It 
would  be  quite  human  for  each  of  these  men  to  form 
mutually  exclusive  denominations  for  the  conservation 
of  his  own  peculiar  convictions.  This,  however,  would 
not  be  in  harmony  with  the  life  under  grace.  The 
man  who  esteems  all  days  alike,  extends  the  joyous 
worship,  praise,  and  service  belonging  to  the  Lord's 


294  Grace 

day  into  every  day.  This  leads  to  the  consideration 
of  the  fact  that  there  is  (a)  a  true  sabbath  under 
grace,  and  (b)  there  is  yet  to  be  a  millennial  sabbath 
in  the  earth. 

a.    "The  true  sabbath  under  grace. 

The  sabbath  under  the  law  was  a  day.  The  sab- 
bath under  grace  is  a  life.  The  law,  even  of  the 
sabbath,  was  but  ' '  a  shadow  of  good  things  to  come, ' ' 
but  Christ  is  now  the  Substance.  The  sabbath  under 
grace  knows  no  shadow.  It  is  radiant  with  the  glory 
of  the  resurrected  Christ. 

In  Hebrews  4 : 1-16  there  is  full  revelation  concern- 
ing the  sabbath  under  grace.  This  whole  message  is 
gathered  up  in  one  brief  portion  of  the  passage: 
"  There  remaineth  therefore  a  rest  to  the  people  of 
God.  For  he  that  is  entered  into  his  rest,  he  also  hath 
ceased  from  his  own  works,  as  God  did  from  His1" 
(vs.  9,  10).  There  is  no  reference  in  this  Scripture 
to  the  rest  into  which  the  Christian  enters  at  death. 
It  is  rather,  ''For  we  which  have  believed  do  enter  in- 
to rest"  (v.  3).  It  is  the  rest  of  "him  that  worketh 
not,  but  believeth  on  him  that  justifieth  the  ungodly" 
(Rom.  4:5),  and  the  rest  of  the  one  who,  " walking 
in  the  Spirit,"  discovers  that  he  does  not  fulfill  the 
lust  of  the  flesh,  and  who  enters  into  the  realization 
of  the  provision  through  the  indwelling  Spirit  that 
the  whole  will  of  God  is  to  be  fulfilled  in  him,  rather 
than  by  him.  This  great  blessing  is  not  restricted  to 
a  sabbath  day;  it  is  an  unbroken  sabbath  life.  The 
sabbath  of  the  law  was,  then,  a  day  of  absolute  rest ; 
the  sabbath  under  grace  is  a  life^  which  is  delivered 
from  all  works  of  the  flesh  since  Christ  has  wrought, 


The  Life  under  Grace  295 

and  is  free  from  every  dependence  on  the  flesh  since 
the  Spirit  has  been  given.  No  burden  was  allowed  to 
be  borne  on  the  sabbath  under  the  law ;  every  burden 
is  to  be  cast  on  the  Lord  in  the  sabbath  of  grace.  The 
sabbath  of  the  law  was  a  day  of  rest  for  self ;  the  sab- 
bath of  grace  is  a  rest  from  self.  It  is  a  life  which  is 
to  be  lived  to  the  glory  and  praise  of  Another.  In 
the  sabbath  under  the  law,  man  was  to  cease  from  do- 
ing his  own  will  for  one  day  in  seven ;  in  the  sabbath 
under  grace  the  believer  is  to  be  constantly  and 
wholly  yielded  to  God.1 

Every  vestige  of  the  system  which  provided  for  the 
giving  of  one-seventh  of  the  time  in  conformity  to  the  / 

i  There  is  significance  in  the  fact  that  the  Greek  word  for 
week  is  sabbaton,  which  also  means  sabbath.  Thus  in  Mt. 
28:  1,  referring  to  the  day  of  Christ's  resurrection,  we  have 
the  possible  literal  reading:  "At  the  end  of  the  sabbath  as  it 
began  to  dawn  on  the  first  day  of  sabbaths"  (Cf  Mk.  16:  2,  9; 
Lk.  24:1;  John  20:1,  19;  Acts  13:14;  16:13).  At  least 
three  expositions  of  this  passage  are  possible. 

1.  That  there  is  no  significance  in  the  fact  that  the  resur- 
rection day  is  called  sabbath  since  it  is  the  same  Greek  word 
for    week.     This    is    evidently    the    position   taken    by   trans- 
lators   generally.     The    one    passage,    "I_  fast    twiea    iq    the 
week"    (Lk.    18:  12)    would  be   difficult  under   a  sabbath  in-    I 
terpretation  unless  it  be  taken  to  mean,  "I  fast  twice  on  the  / 
sabbath." 

2.  That  the  use  of  the  word  sabbaton  in  connection  with  the 
day  of  resurrection  warrants  tKtTuse  of  the  phrase,  Christian 
Sabbath,  but  the  strong  objection  to  this  usage  is  the  absolute 
prohibition   in   the   Epistles  against   the   sabbath   day  under 
any   form  whatsoever. 

3.  That    the    resurrection    morning    was    the    first    day    of 
all  the  days  which  were  to  enter  into  the  age  of  grace,  and 
that  age,  so  far  as  a  sabbath  is   concerned,  is  a  period  in 
which  the  believer  has  entered  into  rest.     Under  this  inter- 
pretation,  the    resurrection    day   was   the   first    day   of   sab- 
baths,  which    series    was   to    include    every    succeeding    day 
until  the  Lord  returns. 


296  Grace 

will  of  God,  is  removed,  and  in  its  place  the  every- 
day, unchanging  experience  of  that  good,  and  accept- 
able, and  perfect  will  of  God  has  been  substituted. 
It  is  inconceivable  that  Christ  was  more  devoted  to 
His  Father  on  one  day  than  on  another.  To  intrude 
the  legal  sabbath  into  the  present  order  of  fellowship 
with  God,  is  to  rob  Him  of  six-sevenths  of  His  glory 
•in  grace. 

It  is  true  that  the  Christian  has  a  day  which  is 
given  to  him  from  God,  and  this  day  is  to  be  observed ; 
but  its  observance  is  never  a  matter  of  greater  piety, 
devotion,  or  yieldedness  to  God  than  of  any  other  day. 
Its  observance  consists  in  a  larger  freedom,  because 
of  the  cessation  of  temporal  cares,  to  do  all  that  his 
heart  is  yearning  to  do  all  the  days.  The  sabbath  in 
grace  is,  therefore,  an  experience  of  all  that  enters 
into  the  highest  ideals  of  the  Christian's  life  and  de- 
votion to  God.  Blessed  indeed  are  the  children  of 
God  who  learn  to  turn  from  holy  days,  from  lenten 
seasons,  and  from  all  mere  forms,  if  these  even  suggest 
the  thought  of  fitfulness  in  fellowship  and  service 
with  Christ.  Doubtless,  in  spite  of  the  glory  of  the 
true  sabbath  under  grace,  there  will  always  be  those 
who  will  continue  to  give  their  tenth,  in  place  of  giv- 
ing themselves  and  all  that  they  are  and  have,  and 
who  will  give  a  mere  fraction  of  their  time  for  devo- 
tion to  God,  rather  than  their  lives.  The  true  sabbath 
under  grace  is  well  stated  in  these  words:  "Whether 
therefore  ye  eat,  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all 
to  the  glory  of  God"  (1  Cor.  10:  31) ;  "Be  instant  in 
season,  out  of  season"  (2  Tim.  4:2) ;  "Pray  without 
ceasing"  (1  Thes.  5: 17) ;  "Giving  thanks  always  for 


The  Life  under  Grace  297 

all  things"  (Eph.  5:20);  "Kejoice  evermore"  (1 
Thes.  5: 16) ;  and,  "Be  ye  steadfast,  umnoveahle,  al- 
ways abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord"  (1  Cor. 
15:58). 

b.    The  millennial  sabbath. 

The  sabbath,  as  a  type,  will  have  its  final  earthly 
fulfillment  in  the  coming  kingdom-reign  of  Christ. 
It  seems  probable  that  it  will  be  at  the  end  of  its 
six  thousand  years  of  labor  and  oppression  under  the 
power  of  sin  and  Satan,  that  the  earth  will  celebrate 
its  predicted  thousand-year,  jubilee  sabbath  of  rest. 
During  that  period  the  Church  will  be  reigning  with 
the  King  as  His  Bride,  and  Israel  will  again  keep  her 
seventh-day  sabbath,  but  in  the  new  enabling  power 
which  is  to  be  provided  in  that  age  of  the  divine  glory 
in  the  earth.  Of  that  kingdom-age  it  is  written: 
"And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  from  one  new  moon 
to  another,  and  from  one  sabbath  to  another,  shall  all 
flesh  come  to  worship  before  me,  saith  the  LORD"  (Isa. 
66:23). 


m.      CERTAIN  CURRENT  ERRORS. 

A  brief  recapitulation  of  what  has  already  been 
covered  of  the  current  errors  on  the  sabbath  question 
is  here  given  in  conclusion  of  this  aspect  of  the 
teachings  of  grace. 

First.  That  the  Sabbath  Obtains  from  Creation 
to  the  End  of  Time. 

There  is  no  Scripture  upon  which  this  claim    may 


298  Grace 


be  based,  either  for  the  period  from  Adam  to  the  giv- 
ing of  the  law,  or  from  the  death  of  Christ  until  the 
end  of  the  present  age  of  grace. 


H 


Second.    That  the  Sabbath  was  Ever  Given  to  Gen- 
tiles. 


The  disastrous  results  of  the  prevalent  custom 
of  borrowing  certain  features  from  Judaism,  in- 
cluding its  sabbath,  and  intruding  them  into  Chris- 
tianity cannot  be  too  strongly  emphasized.  This 
error  carries  with  it  the  obligation  to  keep  the  law  in 
its  totality,  disregards  one  of  the  most  vital  accom- 
plishments of  Christ  in  His  death,  and  creates  a  condi- 
tion of  hopeless  confusion  in  all  matters  related  to 
the  right  divisions  of  the  Scriptures. 

The  whole  seventh-day  error  is  a  logical  outcome 
of  an  assumed  freedom  to  apply  Jewish  Scriptures  to 
the  Church  of  God. 

Third.  That  the  Decalogue  was  Never  a  part  of 
'the  Law,  and  Therefore  the  Sabbath  of  the  Decalogue 
is  Now  Binding  Though  the  Law  is  Done  Away. 

This  claim  is  silenced  by  the  Scriptures.  The  Dec- 
alogue is  included,  incorporated,  and  embedded  in 
the  Old  Testament  statement  of  the  law;  and  in  the 
New  Testament,  the  decalogue  is  explicitly  declared 
to  be  "THE  LAW"  (Rom.  7:7). 

Fourth.  That  the  Jewish  Sabbath  was  Changed  to 
the  Lord's  Day. 

Emperors,  Popes,  church  councils,  and  creeds  have 
declared  the  obligation  to  observe  the  first  day  of  the 
week  as  the  sabbath.  Such  decrees  have  never 


The  Life  under  Grace  299 

changed  the  sabbath  to  the  Lord's  day.  The  sab- 
bath could  not  be  changed.  An  entirely  different 
day  has  been  established  by  God  Himself.  This  new 
day  belongs  to  the  transcendent  realities  of  the  new 
creation  which  was  brought  into  existence  through 
the  resurrection  of  Christ.  The  Lord's  day  is 
different  from  the  sabbath  in  every  consideration  but 
one,  namely,  like  the  Jewish  sabbath,  it  is  a  reserva- 
tion of  one  particular  day  in  seven. 

Fifth.  That  the  Lord's  Day  Should  be  Called  the 
Christian  Sabbath. 

The  practice  of  speaking  of  the  Lord's  day  as  the 
Christian  sabbath  is  wholly  without  Scriptural  war- 
rant, and  is  no  doubt  more  often  the  result  of  careless 
habit,  or  lack  of  due  consideration  of  the  Bible  teach- 
ings, than  of  unbelief. 

f  Sixth.  The  Practice  of  Adopting  Rules  from  the 
Jewish  Sabbath  Law  to  Supplement  the  Precious  Ab- 
sence of  Rules  for  the  Lord's  Day. 

\. 

This  blasting  error  should  be  judged  without 
mercy,  for  it,  in  effect,  drives  every  grace-aspect  of 
the  Lord's  day  from  the  field,  and  induces  one  "to 
tempt  God"  (Cf  Acts  15:10).  The  toleration  of 
this  error  not  only  reveals  a  total  misconception  of  the 
glories  of  grace,  but  it  darkens  counsel,  and  compli- 
cates the  saving  Gospel  of  Christ. 

/    Seventh.     That    the    Universal    Observance    of    a 
'•  Sabbath,  or  Lord's  Day,  Should  be  Required  by  Leg- 
islation of  a  Town,  a  State,  or  a  Nation. 

This  teaching,  likewise,  is  foreign  to  Scripture.  Let 
those  who  are  pursuing  this  idea  pause  to  con- 


300 


Grace 


sider  whether  their  energy  might  not  be  employed  in 
a  manner  which  is  more  pleasing  to  Christ  by  heeding 
His  last  command  to  go  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  Gospel,  rather  than  to  attempt  to  compel  unwill- 
ing, Christ-rejecting  hearts  into  a  mere  religious  for- 
mality which  only  develops  self-righteous  Pharisees 
who  are  as  surely  doomed  without  Christ  as  though 
they  had  never  heard  of  a  holy  day. 


THE  LIFE  UNDER  GRACE 

(concluded) 

SECTION  SEVEN 
CHRIST,  THE  BELIEVER'S  SPHERE  IN  GRACE 

There  is  probably  no  word  of  Scripture  which  more 
clearly  defines  the  essential  fact  concerning  the 
Christian  than  the  phrase,  "In  Christ,"  and  as  the 
Christian  is  the  most  important  fact  of  all  creation, 
there  has  never  been  a  word  uttered  which  was  so 
far-reaching  in  its  implication,  or  which  is  fraught 
with  greater  meaning  to  humanity  than  the  phrase, 
"In  Christ."  This  phrase,  with  its  equivalents,  "In 
Christ  Jesus,"  "In  Him,"  "In  the  Beloved,"  "By 
Him,"  "Through  Him,"  and  "With  Him,"  appears 
in  the  grace  teachings  of  the  New  Testament  no  less 
than  130  times.  This  most  unusual  emphasis  upon 
one  particular  truth  is  arresting,  and  its  import  must 
not  be  slighted.  Over  against  the  emphasis  which  is 
given  to  this  truth  in  the  teachings  of  grace,  is  the 
corresponding  fact  that  there  is  no  hint  of  a  possible 
position  inChrist  in  any  teaching  of  the  law  or  of  the 
kingdom.  The  believer's  present  position  in  Christ 
was  not  seen  even  in  type  or  prophecy.  In  the  ages 
past  it  was  a  secret  hid  in  the  mind  and  heart  of  God. 
He  who  hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in 
Christ,  "hath  chosen  us  in  him  before  the  foundation 
of  the  world,  that  we  should  be  holy  and  without 

301 


302  Grace 

blame  before  him  in  love:  having  predestinated  us 
unto  the  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ  to  him- 
self, according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will,  to  the 
praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace,  wherein  he  hath  made 
us  accepted  in  the  beloved.  In  whom  we  have  re- 
demption through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  Bins, 
according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace ;  wherein  he  hath 
abounded  toward  us  in  all  wisdom  and  prudence; 
having  made  known  unto  us  the  mystery  [sacred 

jcret]  of  his  will,  according  to  his  good  pleasure 
which  he  hath  purposed  in  himself:  that  in  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  fulness  of  time  he  might  gather  to- 
gether in  one  all  things  in  Christ,  both  which  are  in 
heaven,  and  which  are  on  earth ;  even  in  him :  in  whom 
also  we  have  obtained  an  inheritance,  being  predes- 
tinated according  to  the  purpose  of  him  who  worketh 
all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will:  that  we 
should  be  to  the  praise  of  his  glory,  who  first  trusted 
in  Christ." 

Who  can  comprehend  the  full  scope  of  these  eternal 
wonders?  Knowing  the  limitation  of  the  human 
heart,  at  this  point  the  Apostle  breaks  forth  into 
prayer:  "Wherefore  I  also,  after  I  heard  of  your 
faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  love  unto  all  the  saints, 
cease  not  to  give  thanks  for  you,  making  mention  of 
you  in  my  prayers;  that  the  God  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Father  of  glory,  may  give  unto  you  the 
spirit  of  wisdom  and  revelation  in  the  knowledge  of 
him:  the  eyes  of  your  understanding  [heart]  being 
enlightened;  that  ye  may  know  what  is  the  hope  of 
his  calling,  and  what  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his  in- 
heritance in  the  saints." 

Having  thus  prayed  that  the  Christian  may  know 


The  Life  under  Grace  303 

by  divine  illumination  the  hope  of  his  calling  and  the 
riches  of  the  glory  of  the  inheritance  which  God  now 
has  in  the  saints,  he  continues  to  pray  that  they  may 
also  know  by  the  same  divine  revelation,  "the  exceed- 
ing greatness  of  his  power  to  us-ward  who  believe, 
according  to  the  working  of  his  mighty  power,  which 
he  wrought  in  Christ,  when  he  raised  him  from  the 
dead,  and  set  him  at  his  own  right  hand  in  the 
heavenly  places,  far  above  all  principality,  and  power, 
and  might,  and  dominion,  and  every  name  that  is 
named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  also  in  that  which 
is  to  come:  and  hath  put  all  things  under  his  feet, 
and  gave  him  to  be  head  over  all  things  to  the  church, 
which  is  his  body,  the  fulness  of  him  that  filleth  all 
in  all"  (Eph.  1:2-23). 


Growing  out  of  this  glorious  relationship  in  Christ, 
is  a  most  natural  responsibility  to  walk  worthy  of  fEe 
calling ;  but  the  issues  of  a  daily  life  and  the  character 
of  the  conduct  which  should  enter  into  it,  though  im- 
portant in  their  place,  are  lost  and  forgotten  in  the 
blaze  of  the  eternal  glory  of  that  unchangeable  grace 
which  has  brought  the  believer  into  the  new  creation 
in  Christ  Jesus. 

To  be  in  Christ  is  to  be  in  the  sphere  of  His  own 
infinite  Person,  power,  and  glory.  He  surrounds,  He 
protects,  He  separates  from  all  else,  and  He  indwells 
the  one  in  Him.  He  also  supplies  in  Himself  all  that 
a  soul  will  ever  need  in  time  or  eternity. 

The  union  which  is  formed  in  Christ  is  deeper  than 
any  relationship  the  human  mind  has  ever  conceived. 
In  His  priestly  prayer,  in  which  He  had  advanced 
onto  resurrection  ground,  and  where  He  contemplated 
the  glory  of  His  finished  work  as  having  been  already 


304  Grace 

accomplished  (Cf  John  17: 11),  Christ  spoke  of  three 
unities  within  the  sphere  of  one  relationship :  (1)  The 
unity  within  the  Persons  of  the  Blessed  Trinity,  (2) 
the  unity  between  the  Persons  of  the  Trinity  and  all 
believers,  and  (3)  the  unity  between  the  believers 
themselves,  since  they  are  in  Him.  We  read:  "Neither 
pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  for  them  also  which  shall 
believe  on  me  through  their  word;  that  they  all  may 
be  one ;  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that 
they  also  may  be  one  in  us.  ...  I  in  them,  and  thou 
in  me,  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one"  (John 
17: 20-23).  Who  can  fathom  the  depths  of  the  reve- 
lation that  the  believer  is  related  to  Christ  on  the 
very  plane  of  that  oneness  which  exists  between  the 
Father  and  the  Son! 

Again,  Christ  likens  the  union  which  exists  between 
•Himself  and  the  believer  to  the  vital,  organic  relation 
that  exists  between  the  vine  and  its  living  branch. 
The  branch  is  in  the  vine  and  the  life  of  the  vine  is 
in  the  branch ;  but  the  branch  possesses  no  independ- 
ent life  in  itself.  It  cannot  exist  apart  from  the  vine. 
The  human  child  may  outgrow  dependence  upon  its 
parents  and,  in  turn,  support  and  sustain  them;  but 
the  branch  can  never  become  independent  of  the  vine. 
In  like  manner,  the  fruit  and  every  manifestation  of 
life  in  the  branch  is  due  to  the  ceaseless  inflow  of  the 
vitality  of  the  vine.  The  fruit  is  as  much  the  fruit 
of  the  vine  as  it  is  the  fruit  of  the  branch  (Cf  John 
15 :  5 ;  Rom.  7:4;  Gal.  5 : 22,  23) .  Thus  it  is  with  the 
one  who  is  in  Christ. 

Considering  the  same  fact  of  unity,  the  Apostle 
Paul  likens  Christ  to  the  head  and  the  believers  to 
members  in  a  body.  This  figure  illustrates  the  same 


The  Life  under  Grace  305 

vital,  dependent  relationship.  The  member  in  the 
body  partakes  of  the  merit  and  honor  of  the  head,  and 
the  life  and  power  of  the  head  is  imparted  to  the 
member.  So  perfect  is  this  unity  between  the  Head 
and  the  members  of  the  body,  that  it  is  probable  that 
Christ  will  never  be  seen  in  glory  apart  from  His 
body,  and  the  body  will  never  be  seen  apart  from 
Him  (Cf  1  Cor.  12:12). 

From  these  illustrative  Scriptures  it  will  be  ob- 
jrved  that  the  unity  between  Christ  and  the  believer 

two-fold:     The  believer  is  in  Christ,  and  Christ  is 

the  believer.  The  believer  is  in  Christ  as  to  posi- 
tions, possessions,  safe-keeping,  and  association;  and 
Christ  is  in  the  believer  giving  life,  character  and 
dynamic  for  conduct. 

It  has  already  been  pointed  out  that  the  upper- 
room  conversation,  recorded  in  John,  chapters  13 
to  16,  presents  the  grace  teachings  of  Christ,  and  is 
the  germ  of  all  the  truth  that  is  found  in  the  Epistles, 
which,  in  turn,  contain  the  revelation  of  the  essential 
fact  of  the  new  creation  and  the  resulting  obligation 
as  to  daily  life.  The  doctrinal  truth  of  the  Epistles, 
which  is  the  doctrinal  truth  of  grace,  is  subject  to  the 
same  two-fold  division — what  the  saved  one  is  in 
Christ,  and  the  character  and  power  of  the  daily  life 
that  will  be  experienced  when  the  victorious  energy 
of  the  indwelling  Christ  is  imparted. 

At  one  point  in  the  midst  of  the  upper-room  dis- 
course, Christ  compressed  the  whole  doctrinal  struc- 
ture of  grace  into  one  brief  phrase.  This  phrase 
is  notable  because  it  is  the  key  to  all  the  facts  and 
relationships  under  grace,  and  because  of  its  simplic- 
ity and  brevity  of  language: 


306  Grace 

"•Ye  in  me,  and  I  in  you"  (John  14:  20). 

These  two  aspects  of  the  truth  under  grace  will  be 
considered  separately.  (1)  "Ye  in  me,"  (2)  "I  in 
you." 

1.    "YE  IN  ME." 

Every  child  of  God  is  vitally  united  to  Christ.  He 
is  placed  in  Christ  by  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit, 
which  ministry  of  the  Spirit  is  not  only  a  part  of  sal- 
vation and  therefore  already  accomplished  for  all 
who  are  saved,  but  it  is  distinctly  said  to  be  a  minis- 
try that  is  wrought  for  all  who  believe  on  Christ. 
The  Scriptures  state:  "For  by  one  Spirit  are  we 
all  baptized  into  one  body,  whether  we  be  Jews  or 
Gentiles,  whether  we  be  bond  or  free ;  and  have  been 
all  made  to  drink  into  one  Spirit"  (1  Cor.  12:13). 

This  is  the  one  passage  in  the  Word  of  God  which 
reveals  the  precise  meaning  and  objective  of  the 
baptism  with  the  Spirit.  Since  its  meaning  is  clear, 
there  is  no  excuse  for  the  prevalent  errors  connected 
with  this  truth.  Being  accomplished  for  "all,"  the 
baptism  with  the  Spirit  includes  the  one  who  has 
just  been  saved.  Thus  the  time  of  its  accomplish- 
ment is  revealed.  It  is,  of  necessity,  synchronous 
with  salvation  itself,  and  therefore  a  part  of  it. 
Likewise,  the  same  passage  presents  the  divine  ob- 
jective which  is  accomplished  by  the  Spirit 's  baptism. 
It  is  "into  one  body,"  and  that  believers  may  be 
"made  to  drink  into  one  Spirit."  There  was  a  time 
when  the  individual  was  not  in  Christ,  which  is  the 
present  estate  of  all  who  are  unsaved.  There  fol- 
lows a  time  when  the  individual,  being  saved,  is  in 


The  Life  under  Grace  307 

Christ.  This  great  change  consists  in  the  fact  that 
he  has  been  placed  in  that  vital  organic  union  with 
Christ  by  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit.  By  the  Spirit 
he  has  been  baptized  into  the  very  body  of  Christ; 
and  this  ministry  of  the  Spirit,  likewise,  unites  all 
who  are  saved  into  a  unity  of  their  own ;  for  they  are 
"made  to  drink  into  one  Spirit." 

There  is  no  other  work  of  God  for  the  individual 
which  seems  to  accomplish  so  much  as  the  baptism 
with  the  Spirit;  for  by  it  the  living  union  with 
Christ  is  established  forever,  and  by  virtue  of  that 
union  the  believer  has  entered  the  sphere  of  all 
heavenly  positions  and  all  eternal  possessions  which 
in  grace  are  provided  for  him  in  Christ.  To  the 
Christian,  Christ  has  become,  in  the  divine  reckoning, 
the  sphere  of  his  being,  and  this  reckoning  contem- 
plates all  that  the  Christian  is  and  all  that  he  does. 
Certain  aspects  of  this  truth,  among  many,  are  to 
be  noted: 

First,  Christ  is  the  Sphere  of  the  Believer's  Posi- 
tions. 

A  sphere  is  that  which  surrounds  an  object  on 
every  side  and  may  even  penetrate  that  object.  To 
be  within  a  sphere  is  to  partake  of  all  that  it  is  and 
all  that  it  imparts.  Thus  the  bird  is  in  the  air  and 
the  air  is  in  the  bird;  the  fish  is  in  the  water  and 
the  water  is  in  the  fish;  the  iron  is  in  the  fire  and 
the  fire  is  in  the  iron.  Likewise,  in  the  spiritual 
realm,  Christ  is  the  sphere  of  the  believer's  position. 
He  encompasses,  surrounds,  encloses,  and  indwells 
the  believer.  The  believer  is  in  Christ,  and  Christ 
is  in  the  believer.  Through  the  baptism  with  the 


308  Grace 

Spirit,  the  Christian  has  become  as  much  an  organic 
part  of  Christ  as  the  branch  is  a  part  of  the  vine,  or 
the  member  is  a  part  of  the  body.  Being  thus  con- 
joined to  Christ,  the  Father  sees  the  saved  one  only 
in  Christ,  or  as  a  living  part  of  His  own  Son,  and 
loves  him  as  He  loves  His  Son  (Eph.  1:6;  John 
17:23). 

As  an  accompanying  result  of  this  vital  union  in 
Christ  certain  facts  of  relationship  are  created  which 
are  the  believer's  new  positions  in  Christ,  and  are 
the  consequence  of  the  work  of  God  in  grace.  To 
present  fully  all  the  new  positions  into  which  the 
Christian  is  brought  in  Christ,  would  necessitate  an 
analysis  of  all  the  great  doctrinal  portions  of  the 
Epistles.  By  way  of  illustration,  a  brief  selection 
from  these  positions  is  here  presented.1  Of  the  saved 
one  it  is  said  that  he  is : 
/  Elect  and  called  of  God  (1  Thes.  1:4;  5:24). 

Redeemed  by  God  through  the  blood  of  His  Son 
(Col.  1:14). 

Reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  His  Son  (2  Cor. 
5:19). 

Sheltered  eternally  under  the  propitiation  made 
in  the  blood  of  Christ  (1  John  2:2). 

Forgiven  all  trespasses,  past,  present,  and  future 
(Col.  2:13). 

Condemned  no  more  forever  (Rom.  8:1). 

Justified  freely  by  His  grace  (Rom.  3:24). 

Sanctified  positionally,  or  set  apart  unto  God  in 
Christ  (1  Cor.  1:30). 

Perfected  for  ever  (Heb.  10: 14). 

i  A  more  complete  analysis  of  the  believer's  positions  will 
be  found  in  the  author's  book  Salvation. 


The  Life  under  Grace  309 

Made  meet  to  be  a  partaker  of  the  inheritance  of    // 
the  saints  in  light  (Col.  1: 12). 

Made  accepted  in  the  Beloved  (Eph.  1:6). 

Made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him  (2  Cor, 
5:21). 

Made  nigh  to  God  in  Christ  Jesus  (Eph.  2: 13). 

A  child  and  son  of  God  (John  1 : 12 ;  1  John  3:3).    > 

Free  from  the  law  and  dead  to  the  law  (Rom.  7:4, 

6). 

Delivered  from  the  power  of  darkness  (Col.  1: 13). 

Translated  into  the  kingdom  of  God's  dear  Son 
(Col.  1:13). 

Founded  on  the  Rock  Christ  Jesus  (1  Cor.  3:11). 

God's  gift  to  Christ  (John  17:11,  12,  20;  10:29). 

Circumcised  in  Christ  (Col.  2:11). 

An  holy  priest,  chosen  and  peculiar  (1  Pet.  2:5, 

9). 

Object  of  divine  love,  grace,  power,  faithfulness, 
peace,  consolation  (Eph.  2:4,  8;  1:9;  Heb.  13:5; 
Col.  3:15;  2  Thes.  2:16). 

Object  of  Christ's  intercession  (Heb.  7:25). 

His  inheritance   (Eph.  1:18). 

Seated  in  the  heavenly  in  Christ  (Eph.  2:6). 

A  citizen  of  heaven  (Phil.  3:20  R.  V.). 

Of  the  family  and  household  of  God  (Eph.  2:19; 
3:15). 

Light  in  the  Lord  (Eph.  5:8). 

In  God,  in  Christ,  and  in  the  Spirit  (1  Thes.  1:1; 
'John  14:20;  Rom.  8:9). 

Possessed  with  the  first  fruits  of  the  Spirit.  Born 
(John  3: 6),  baptized  (1  Cor.  12: 13),  indwelt  (1  Cor. 
6:19),  and  sealed  (Eph.  4:30). 

Glorified  (Rom.  8:30), 


310  Grace 

•  Complete  in  Him  (Col,  2:10). 

Possessing  every  spiritual  blessing  (Eph.  1:3). 

Of  these  and  all  other  positions  which  are  the  pres- 
ent possession  of  the  child  of  God  through  his  vital 
union  with  Christ,  it  may  be  said  that  they  are: 

1.  Invisible. 

The  believer's  positions,  like  all  things  related  to 
the  Spirit,  are  invisible;  but  as  is  true  of  spiritual 
things,  they  are  more  real  and  abiding  than  visible 
things.  "For  the  things  which  are  seen  are  tem- 
poral; but  the  things  which  are  not  seen  are  eternal" 
(2  Cor.  4:18),  and,  "Whom  having  not  seen,  ye 
love"  (1  Pet.  1:8.  Cf  1  Tim.  1:17;  6:16;  Heb. 
11:27;  1  John  4:12).  Even  the  present  revelation 
by  the  Spirit  is  such  as  "Eye  hath  not  seen." 

2.  Unexperienced. 

The  positions  in  Christ  are  never  subject  to  human 
experience.  They  produce  no  sensation  by  which 
they  may  be  identified.  They  are  taken  by  faith,  and 
joyous  appreciation  may  come  as  a  result  of  believ- 
ing. 

3.  Apprehended  by  faith. 


Jaith.  is  the  new  and  effectual  faculty  of  the  spir- 
itual life.  By  it  what  is  said  in  the  "Word  of  God 
is  received  as  true.  Such  apprehension  is,  at  best, 
only  partial;  but,  notwithstanding  the  limitations  of 
human  knowledge,  the  positions  are  all  perfect 
through  Christ.  Of  this  perfection,  "the  half  has 
never  been  told." 


The  Life  under  Grace  311 

4.  Contested. 

Scripture  presents  the  warfare  of  Satan  as  being 
waged  hi  the  sphere  of  "the  heavenly."  There  is 
abundant  assurance  that  Satan's  power  can  never 
spoil  any  aspect  of  the  believer's  actual  positions  in 
Christ;  but  Satan  is  able,  except  as  tke  believer  lays 
hold  by  faith  of  the  power  of  God,  to  hinder  the  life 
of  blessing  which  should  flow  out  of  that  vital  union 
with  Christ. 

5.  Unmerited. 

Human  merit,  as  in  all  the  operations  of  grace, 
is  excluded  from  the  divine  reckoning  concerning 
these  positions  in  Christ.  They  rest  on  the  perfect 
merit  of  Christ.  This  is  the  very  heart  of  the  new 
standing  before  God.  "In  Christ  Jesus  ye  who 
sometimes  were  far  off  are  made  nigh  by  the  blood 
of  Christ"  (Eph.  2:13). 

6.  Unchangeable. 

The  standing  and  position  of  the  child  of  God  in 
Christ  cannot  be  increased  or  decreased.  It  abides 
as  He  is,  "the  same  yesterday,  and  to  day,  and  for 
ever"  (Heb.  13:8). 

7.  Eternal. 

Finally,  since  these  positions  in  Christ  are  rela- 
ted to,  and  depend  only  on  Christ,  they  will  endure 
as  long  as  He  endures:  "Wherefore  he  is  able  also  to 
save  them  to  the  uttermost  [without  end]  that  come 
unto  God  by  him"  (Heb.  7:25). 


312  Grace 

These  great  positions  and  relationships  in  Cnrist 
are  the  result  of  the  unrestrained  outflow  of  the  ex- 
ceeding grace  of  God.  They,  therefore,  do  not  ap- 
pear in  any  teaching  of  the  law  of  Moses  or  of  the 
kingdom.  These  positions  could  not  be  gained  by  law- 
works  or  by  any  human  merit.  Correspondingly, 
the  manner  of  life  which  they  propose  cannot  be 
lived  according  to  the  law  in  the  energy  of  the  flesh. 
The  whole  system  of  grace  is  both  inter-related  and 
complete  within  itself  and  cannot  yield  to  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  law  at  any  point  whatsoever. 

Second,  Christ  is  the  Sphere  of  the  Believer's  Pos- 
sessions. 

Again  the  enumeration  must  be  partial: 

1.    A  new  standing  in  Christ. 

The  new  standing  in  Christ  includes  all  the  posi- 
tions under  grace,  a  portion  of  which  have  just  been 
enumerated.  These  positions  are  "the  riches  of 
grace  in  Christ  Jesus."  The  possession,  for  a  day 
even  of  one  of  these  glories  of  grace  would  be  well 
worth  the  trials  and  struggles  of  a  lifetime.  But 
in  contrast  to  such  a  valuation,  they  are  all  gained, 
and  all  retained  without  struggle  or  trial;  they  are 
God's  gift  in  grace.  Such  wealth  cannot  be  compre- 
hended by  the  unaided  human  mind.  The  Apostle 
prayed:  "The  eyes  of  your  understanding  [heart] 
being  enlightened;  that  ye  may  know  what  is  the 
hope  of  his  calling,  and  what  the  riches  of  the  glory 
of  his  inheritance  in  the  saints"  (Eph.  1:18); 
"And  to  know  the  love  of  Christ,  which  passeth 
knowledge,  that  ye  might  be  filled  with  all  the  ful- 


The  Life  under  Grace  313 

ness  of  God"  (Eph.  3:19);  "That  ye  might  be 
filled  with  the  knowledge  of  his  will  in  all  wisdom 
and  spiritual  understanding"  (Col.  1:9).  There 
are  no  limits  to  be  placed  on  the  possibility  of  the 
illumination  of  the  mind  by  the  Spirit. 

2.  A  new  life  in  Christ. 

The  Scriptures  lay  great  emphasis  upon  the  fact 
that  the  Christian  possesses  a  new  life  from  God. 
That  life  is  imparted.  Christ  said:  "I  am  come 
that  they  might  have  life,  and  that  they  might  have  it 
more  abundantly"  (John  10:10).  The  satanic 
counterfeit  of  this  fundamental  truth  is  the  teaching 
that  the  new  life  consists  in  a  new  manner  of  life, — 
a  new  standard  or  ideal.  A  new  life  imparted  will 
naturally  result  in  a  new  manner  of  life;  but  no 
manner  of  life,  old  or  new,  constitutes  the  means 
through  which  the  imparted  life  is  gained.  "The 
gift  of  God  is  eternal  life  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord"  (Rom.  6:  23) ;  and,  "I  give  unto  them  eternal 
life;  and  they  shall  never  perish"  (John  10:28). 
Life  from  God  is  bestowed  through  a  new  birth,  re- 
sults in  sonship,  and  secures  the  Fatherhood  of  God. 

3.  The  new  presence  and  power  of  the  Spirit. 

It  is  stated  in  Rom.  5:  5  that  "the  Spirit  is  given 
unto  us."  This  is  true  of  every  person  who  is  saved. 
The  Spirit  is  the  birth-right  in  the  new  life.  By 
Him  alone  can  the  character  and  service  that  belongs 
to  the  normal  daily  life  of  the  Christian  be  realized. 
The  Spirit  is  the  "All-Sufficient  One."  Every  vic- 
tory in  the  new  life  is  gained  by  His  strength,  and 


314  Grace 

every  reward  in  glory  will  be  won  only  as  a  result 
of  His  enabling  power. 

4.    A  new  inheritance. 

The  inheritance  of  the  old  creation  in  Adam  was 
beyond  description  in  its  horror.  It  was  to  be  "with- 
out Christ  .  .  .  having  no  hope,  and  without  God  in 
the  world"  (Eph.  2:12).  With  Christ,  God  hath 
freely  given  us  all  things  else  (Rom.  8:32).  The 
Christian's  inheritance  is  nothing  short  of  "all 
things";  for  he  is  an  heir  of  God,  and  a  joint  heir 
with  Christ  (Rom.  8:17).  Peter  writes:  "Blessed 
be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
which  according  to  his  abundant  mercy  hath  begot- 
ten us  again  unto  a  lively  hope  by  the  resurrection 
of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead,  to  an  inheritance  in- 
corruptible, and  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away, 
reserved  in  heaven  for  you"  (1  Pet.  1:3,  4).  The 
present  blessings  of  the  presence  and  power  of  the 
Spirit  are  but  an  "earnest  of  our  inheritance"  (Eph. 
1:14.  Cf  Acts  20:32;  26:18;  Col.  1:12;  Heb.  9:15). 
This  inheritance  is  a  present  possession  which  is 
sealed  to  the  child  of  God  under  grace.  In  addition 
to  the  "all  things"  of  Christ,  it  includes  the  "all 
things  of  the  Father"  (John  16:12-15),  and  these 
are  to  be  revealed  to  the  heart  now  by  the  Spirit 
(1  Cor.  2:9,  10);  "The  living  God,  who  giveth  us 
richly  all  things  to  enjoy"  (1  Tim.  6:17)  ;  "There- 
fore let  no  man  glory  in  men.  For  all  things  are 
yours;  whether  Paul,  or  Appollos,  or  Cephas,  or  the 
world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  things  present,  or  things 
to  come;  all  are  yours;  and  ye  are  Christ's;  and 
Christ  is  God's"  (1  Cor.  3:21-23). 


The  Life  under  Grace  315, 

5.  A  new  enemy. 

To  be  in  Christ  is  to  experience  the  same  enmity 
and  opposition  from  Satan  which  he  entertains  to- 
ward Christ.  There  is  no  enmity  on  Satan's  part 
toward  the  unsaved.  They  form  a  part  of  his  world- 
system  and  are  said  to  be  under  his  power  (Eph. 
2:2;  Col.  1:13;  1  John  5:19,  R.  V.;  2  Cor  4:3,  4). 
Satan's  enmity  is  against  God  and  against  the  people 
of  God  because  God,  by  His  divine  nature,  is  in 
them,  and  they  are  in  Christ.  "We  read:  ''Finally, 
be  strong  in  the  Lord,  and  the  strength  of  his  might. 
Put  on  the  whole  armour  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  able 
to  stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil.  For  our 
wrestling  is  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against 
the  principalities,  against  the  powers,  against  the 
world-rulers  of  this  darkness,  against  the  spiritual 
hosts  of  wickedness  in  the  heavenly  places"  (Eph. 
6:10-12.  E.  V.). 

6.  Access  to  God. 

A  mediator  is  required  between  God  and  man  since 
God  is  holy  and  man  is  unholy.  Job,  who  lived 
many  centuries  before  Moses,  gave  utterance  to  his 
own  sense  of  need  of  a  mediator.  Speaking  of  God  he 
said:  "For  he  is  not  a  man,  as  I  am,  that  I  should 
answer  him,  and  we  should  come  together  in  judg- 
ment. Neither  is  there  any  daysman  betwixt  us, 
that  might  lay  his  hand  upon  us  both"  (Job.  9:32, 
33).  There  could  be  none  to  mediate  between  God 
and  man  unless  God  Himself  should  provide.  This 
He  did  in  the  Person  of  His  Son.  It  is  written: 
"Now  a  mediator  is  not  a  mediator  of  one,  but  God 


316  Grace 

is  one"  (Gal.  3:20).  A  mediator  must  stand  be- 
tween two  parties;  for  there  is  no  occasion  that  he 
mediate  for  one.  The  teaching  of  the  Scriptures  is 
that  God  mediated  His  own  case.  That  is  to  say, 
He  stood  between  Himself  and  sinful  man.  "God 
was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself, 
not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them"  (2  Cor. 
5:19).  God  undertook  through  the  death  of  His 
Son  to  protect  the  sacredness  of  His  own  holy  stand- 
ards and  law  which  had  been  outraged  by  sinful  man, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  secure  the  welfare  of  the 
offender.  This  is  the  work  of  a  mediator.  Every 
demand  of  His  holiness  was  met  in  Christ  who,  as 
Substitute,  bore  the  judgment  which  God  in  righte- 
ousness must  impose,  and  every  interest  of  the  sin- 
ner was  provided  for  in  the  marvels  of  saving  grace 
which  were  set  free  through  the  death  and  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ.  Christ  has  thus  become  the  one  and 
only  ground  of  meeting  between  God  and  man.  "He 
is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins:  and  not  for  ours 
only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world"  (1 
John  2:2). 

The  present  wide-spread  tendency  to  slight  the 
fact  of  the  holy  demands  of  God  against  sin  and  to 
assume  that  the  sinner  is  free  to  come  to  God  on 
the  basis  of  divine  goodness  and  mercy,  is  not  only 
a  gross  misrepresentation  of  the  truth  of  God's 
Word,  it  is  a  satanic  device  to  keep  men  from  the 
salvation  that  is  in  Christ.  The  goodness  and  mercy 
of  God  can  never  be  questioned,  but  that  goodness 
and  mercy  has  been  exercised  to  the  last  degree  of 
divine  ability  in  the  provision  of  a  Mediator  who  is 
mighty  to  save.  Christ  said:  "I  am  the  light," 


The  Life  under  Grace  317 

"I  am  the  door,"  "I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the 
life:  no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father,  but  by  me." 
There  is,  therefore,  no  approach  to  God  for  saint  or 
sinner  other  than  through  the  Mediator  whom  God 
has  provided.  All  the  types  of  the  Old  Testament 
which  forshadowed  the  work  of  Christ  for  man  were 
equally  clear  on  this  great  truth.  As  the  shed-blood 
of  the  animal  sacrifices  typified  the  efficacious  blood 
of  Christ,  no  individual  of  the  Old  Testament  dis- 
pensation was  permitted  to  come  into  the  presence 
of  God  apart  from  the  shedding  and  sprinkling  of 
blood.  Christ  is  the  Mediator  of  a  new  and  better 
covenant.  His  shed-blood  is  the  antitype  of  all  that 
was  required  in  the  sacrifices  of  the  Old  Testament; 
but  in  the  present  relation  between  God  and  man,  the 
truth  takes  on  an  added  reality  and  intensity  which 
is  beyond  estimation.  No  man  is  now  free  to  thrust 
himself  into  the  presence  of  God  simply  because  he 
wills  to  do  so.  Every  door  is  closed  but  One.  If 
God  does  not  destroy  the  offender  as  He  did  in  the 
old  dispensation,  it  is  not  because  the  offense  is  any 
less  worthy  of  death;  it  is  because  of  His  present 
attitude  of  longsuffering  through  grace.  So  much 
the  more  is  man  now  obligated  to  respect  the  un- 
changeable truth  that  Christ  is  the  only  way  to  God. 
"For  there  is  one  God,  and  one  mediator  between 
God  and  men,  the  man  Christ  Jesus"  (1  Tim.  2:5). 
This  mediation  of  the  Son  of  God  is  seen  in  certain 
aspects: 

a.    Access  into  the  grace  of  God. 

It  is  through  Christ  and  Him  alone  that  we  have 
access  into  the  grace  of  God.    "By  whom  also  we 


V 


3 1 8  Grace 

f 

have  access  into  this  grace"  (Rom.  5:2).  This  is 
as  true  for  the  saved  as  it  is  for  the  unsaved.  The 
unsaved  are  saved  only  through  the  grace  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus.  Likewise,  the  saved  are  kept  and  stand 
only  through  Christ,  and  all  their  relationship  to 
God  is  through  Christ  alone. 


b.    Access  into  fellowship  with  God. 

All  communion  and  fellowship  with  God  is  on  the 
basis  alone  of  the  Person  and  work  of  Christ.  As 
the  high  priest  of  the  old  order  went  into  the  holy 
of  holies  once  a  year  and  communed  with  God,  like- 
wise, the  priest  of  the  new  order — the  child  of  God — 
is  free  to  enter  the  presence  of  God  and  there  to 
abide.  But  as  the  priest  of  the  old  order  was  re- 
ceived before  God  only  because  he  was  under  the 
sprinkled  blood,  with  the  same  divine  discrimination, 
the  priest  of  the  new  order  is  received  only  because 
he  is  under  the  precious  blood  of  Christ.  God  re- 
ceives His  children  into  fellowship  on  the  sole  basis 
of  the  efficacious  blood  of  Christ  whether  they  under- 
stand this  fact  or  not.  How  vitally  important  it  is, 
however,  that  they  should  understand  and  give  con- 
tinual heart-acknowledgment  of  all  that  Christ  is  to 
them!  "Having  therefore,  brethren,  boldness  to 
enter  into  the  holiest  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,  by  a  new 
and  living  way,  which  he  hath  consecrated  for  us, 
through  the  veil,  that  is  to  say,  his  flesh ;  and  having 
an  high  priest  over  the  house  of  God;  let  us  draw 
near  with  a  true  heart  in  full  assurance  of  faith, 
having  our  hearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil  conscience, 


The  Life  under  Grace  319 

and   our  bodies  washed  with  pure  water"    (Heb. 
10:19-22). 

c.    Access  to  God  in  prayer. 

Christ  is  the  only  access  to  God  in  prayer.  How 
misleading  is  the  supposition  that  any  one  can  reach 
the  ear  of  God  who  will  simply  speak  to  Him !  Apart 
from  the  Mediator  Christ  Jesus,  there  is  no  access  to 
God  in  prayer  and  there  can  be  no  real  prayer.  The 
new  basis  of  prayer  in  the  present  relationship  to 
God  is  that,  prayer  is  to  be  made  in  the  Name  of 
Christ.  This  is  revealed  by  Christ  in  the  upper  room 
and  is  a  part  of  His  unfolding  of  the  glories  of  grace. 
"If  ye  shall  ask  anything  in  my  name,  I  will  do  it"; 
"And  in  that  day  ye  shall  ask  me  nothing.  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the 
Father  in  my  name,  he  will  give  it  you.  Hitherto 
have  ye  asked  nothing  in  my  name:  ask,  and  ye 
shall  receive,  that  your  joy  may  be  full"  (John 
14:14;  16:23,  24).  God  receives  all  His  children 
when  they  pray;  but  He  receives  them  in  Christ, 
and  their  prayer  is  effectual  and  prevailing  only 
as  it  is  in  the  Name  that  is  above  every  name,  and  on 
the  ground  of  the  blood  that  has  been  shed. 
How  important,  again,  that  the  saved  one  under- 
stand this  truth  and  that  he  come  to  God  with  full 
heart-acknowledgment  of  the  Mediator — Christ! 

The  unsaved  have  no  access  to  God  in  prayer. 
"But,"  it  is  often  asked,  "how  then  can  they  be 
saved,  if  they  cannot  ask  God  to  save  them?"  The 
answer  is  simple:  No  person  is  ever  saved  because 
he  asks  God  to  do  it.  He  is  saved  through  grace 


320  Grace 

only  when  he  believes.  God  is  offering  salvation  to 
men.  He  does  not  need  to  be  implored  or  moved  in 
their  behalf.  He  has  been  moved  to  give  His  Son  to 
die.  What  more  could  He  do  ?  This  marvelous  gift 
of  His  grace  is  for  all  who  will  believe. 

7.    The  Word  of  God. 

The  written  Word  of  God  is  one  of  the  priceless 
possessions  of  the  child  of  God  in  Christ.     It  is  the 
unfolding  of  all  the  revelation  concerning  the  ma-: 
jesty  and  grace  of  the  Father,  the  salvation  and  glory, 
that  is  in  the  Son,  and  the  power  and  blessing  that 
is  in  the  Spirit,  the  facts  about  heaven  and  earth,^ 
about  sin  and  salvation,    about   angels  and   Satan, 
about  life  and  death,  and  all  that  is  future  and  all 
that  is  past.    "All  scripture  is  given  by  inspiration 
of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof, 
for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness:  that 
the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished 
unto  all  good  works"  (2  Tim.  3: 16)  ;  "Thy  word  is 
a  lamp  unto  my  feet,  and  a  light  unto  my  path" 
(Ps.  119:105). 

The  Word  of  God  is  as  a  title  deed  to  all  that  the 
Christian  possesses  in  Christ.  It  is  a  covenant  guar- 
anty from  God  which  is  sealed  in  heaven.  Assur- 
ance of  the  divine  grace  and  blessing  is  never  left 
to  depend  on  the  changeable  feelings,  or  vain  mis- 
understanding and  imaginations  of  the  human  heart. 
"It  is  written."  "These  things  have  I  written  unto 
you  that  believe  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God ;  that 
ye  may  know  that  ye  have  eternal  life,  and  that  ye 


The  Life  under  Grace  321 

may  believe  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God"  (1  John 
5:13). 

Third.  Christ,  the  Sphere  of  the  Believer's  Safe- 
Keeping. 

As  the  First  Adam  transmitted  what  he  was  ta 
those  who  were  born  after  the  flesh,  so  the  Last  Adam 
transmits  what  He  is  to  those  who  are  born  after 
the  Spirit.  The  Christian's  standing  is  in  Christ, 
and  there  will  be  no  fall  in  the  Last  Adam.  He  is 
as  secure  as  God  can  make  him  secure,  for  the  preser- 
vation of  the  believer  is  not  conditioned  by  the 
thought  which  he  has  about  the  matter;  it  is  accord- 
ing to  the  purpose  of  God.  As  has  been  stated,  all 
the  eternal  purposes  of  infinite  grace  are  involved 
in  the  issue  of  the  safe-keeping  of  each  one  who  is 
in  Christ.  In  like  manner,  the  security  of  the  Chris- 
tian is  not  merely  the  preservation  of  the  possessions 
which  together  total  his  own  inheritance ;  the  believer 
is  a  part  of  the  divine  inheritance.  God  has  an  in- 
heritance in  the  Christian  (Eph.  1:18).  The  real 
question  becomes  one,  therefore,  as  to  whether  God 
is  able  to  keep  that  which  is  His  inheritance  and 
whether  He  is  disposed  to  keep.  Against  His  power 
nothing  can  prevail,  and  He  has  paid  the  price — the 
blood  of  His  own  Son — to  redeem  this  possession  to 
Himself.  Since  He  is  free  through  the  cross  to  do 
so,  and  His  love  is  unending,  it  is  inconceivable  that 
He  will  not  keep  the  one  He  has  saved.  He  has 
sealed  His  inheritance  unto  the  day  of  redemption. 

An  illustration  of  the  safe-keeping  which  results 
from  being  in  Christ,  is  seen  in  the  panoply  which 


322  Grace 

God  has  provided  under  which  the  believer  may 
"stand"  against  the  strategies  and  warfare  of  Satan. 
"Wherefore  take  unto  you  the  whole  armour  of  God, 
that  ye  may  be  able  to  withstand  in  the  evil  day,  and 
having  done  all,  to  stand.  Stand  therefore,  having 
your  loins  girt  about  with  truth,  and  having  on  the 
breastplate  of  righteousness ;  and  your  feet  shod  with 
the  preparation  of  the  gospel  of  peace;  above  all, 
taking  the  shield  of  faith,  wherewith  ye  shall  be  able 
to  quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of  the  wicked.  And 
take  the  helmet  of  salvation,  and  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God"  (Eph.  6: 13-17). 

The  fact  that  Christ  is  the  armour  is  a  hidden 
beauty  in  this  passage.  He  is  the  Truth,  our  Right- 
eousness, our  Peace,  our  Faith,  our  Salvation,  and  the 
Word  of  God.  Christ  encompasses  the  believer  and 
insulates  him  from  the  power  of  every  foe. 

Fourth.  Christ,  the  Sphere  of  the  Believer's 
Association. 

The  believer's  association  extends  to  every  rela- 
tionship he  sustains,  and  the  character  of  these  asso- 
ciations is  molded  in  conformity  to  his  position  in 
Christ.  Some  of  these  relationships  are: 

1.     With  God  the  Father. 

Through  the  death  of  Christ,  and  through  the  re- 
generating work  of  the  Spirit,  an  individual  who  be- 
lieves is  made  a  son  of  God  by  receiving  the  divine 
nature  and  is  made  to  stand  before  God  forgiven, 
righteous,  and  justified  forever.  He  has  entered  the 
family  and  household  of  God,  and  the  Father's  ten- 
der care,  which  is  all  that  infinite  grace  can  provide, 


The  Life  under  Grace  323 

is  over  him.  The  unsaved  do  not  know  God;  He 
is  not  in  all  their  thoughts.  They  may  know  about 
God;  but  this  is  far  short  of  knowing  God.  Such 
knowledge  is  only  gained  by  the  personal  introduc- 
tion to  the  Father  by  the  Son:  "Neither  knoweth 
any  man  the  Father,  save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whomso- 
ever the  Son  will  reveal  him"  (Mt.  11 :  27).  And  to 
know  the  Father  signifies  the  possession  of  eternal 
life:  "And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might 
know  thee  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom 
thou  hast  sent"  (John  17:3). 

God  was  not  usually  known  as  Father  under 
the  past  dispensation.  He  was  honored  and  trusted 
as  a  "covenant-keeping  God."  The  Psalmist  wrote: 
"Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  LORD 
pitieth  them  that  fear  him"  (Ps.  103: 13). 

2.  With  Christ  the  Son. 

The  extent  of  this  relationship  is  limitless  since 
it  contains  all  that  enters  into  the  new  sphere  in 
Christ.  It  includes  all  that  He  is  as  Saviour  and 
Lord ;  all  that  He  is  in  partnership  with  the  believer 
in  service,  in  suffering,  and  in  betrothal ;  and  all  that 
He  is  in  the  Christian's  fellowship,  "and  truly  our 
fellowship  is  with  the  Father,  and  with  his  Son 
'Jesus  Christ"  (1  John  1:3).  Christ  is  the  object 
of  ceaseless  devotion  and  praise. 

3.  With  the  Spirit  of  God. 

At  this  point,  association  is  nothing  less  than 
identification  itself  in  all  matters  of  life,  character, 
and  service ;  for  the  believer  is  appointed  to  live  only 
by  the  power  of  the  indwelling  Spirit.  The  asso- 


324  Grace 

ciation  with  the  Spirit  is  immediate  and  intimate  be- 
cause He  indwells  every  believer.  THe  presence 
of  the  Spirit  is  not  disclosed  through  human  emotions 
and  feelings ;  it  is  rather  detected  by  the  things  which 
He  does. 

4.  With  Satan  and  his  emissaries. 

As  has  been  stated,  the  believer  is  brought,  through 
his  new  position  in  Christ,  into  a  sphere  wherein 
Satan's  enmity  is  directed  against  him  as  it  is  direc- 
ted against  God.  "For  our  wrestling  is  not  against 
flesh  and  blood,  but  against  the  principalities,  against 
the  powers,  against  the  world-rulers  of  this  darkness, 
against  the  spiritual  host  of  wickedness  in  the 
heavenly  places"  (Eph.  6:12.  R.  V.).  The  victory 
is  provided  only  through  the  indwelling  Spirit: 
Because  greater  is  he  that  is  in  you,  than  he  that  is 
in  the  world"  (1  John  4:4). 

5.  With  the  angels. 

The  angels  are  messengers  or  ministering  spirits 
"sent  forth  to  minister  for  them  who  shall  be  heirs 
of  salvation"  (Heb.  1:14).  While  their  care  at- 
tends the  child  of  God,  it  has  not  pleased  God  to  give 
the  Christian  fellowship  with  them.  Their  ministry 
as  messengers  is  revealed  throughout  the  Word  of 
God. 

6.  With  the  world. 

The  Christian  is  not  of  this  world.  He  has  been 
translated  into  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  He  is  a  citi- 
zen of  heaven,  and  his  only  relation  to  this  world  is 


The  Life  under  Grace  325 

that  of  an  ambassador  and  witness.  He  is  in  the 
enemy's  land;  for  Satan  is  "the  god  of  this  world." 

The  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  given  unto  Satan 

. 
under  the  permission  and  purpose  of  God  (Lk.  4:6). 

The  Christian  is  related  to  the  world  and  all  that  is 
in  the  world  only  as  he  is  related  to  it  through  Christ. 
This  relationship  is  three-fold: 

a.  To  the  world  system. 

This  is  the  whole  sphere  of  human  life  with  its 
institutions,  ideals,  and  projects.  Concerning  this 
world-system  the  believer  is  thus  warned:  "Love  not 
the  world,  neither  the  things  that  are  in  the  world. 
If  any  man  love  the  world,  the  love  of  the  Father 
is  not  in  him.  For  all  that  is  in  the  world,  the  lust 
of  the  flesh,  and  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride 
of  life,  is  not  of  the  Father,  but  is  of  the  world.  And 
the  world  passeth  away,  and  the  lust  thereof :  but  he 
that  doeth  the  will  of  God  abideth  for  ever"  (1  John 
2 : 15-17)  ;  "And  have  no  fellowship  with  the  unfruit- 
ful works  of  darkness,  but  rather  reprove  them" 
(Eph.  5 : 11) ;  "Walk  in  wisdom  toward  them  that  are 
without,  redeeming  the  time.  Let  your  speech  be  al- 
ways with  grace,  seasoned  with  salt,  that  ye  may 
know  how  ye  ought  to  answer  every  man"  (Col.  4:5, 
6). 

b.  To  human  governments. 

According  to  the  Bible,  these  are  under  the  direct 
authority  of  the  Gentiles.  The  present  is  the  times 
of  the  Gentiles  (Lk.  21:  24).  Human  government  is 
of  God  only  to  the  extent  of  His  permissive  will  and 
the  realization  of  His  purpose;  but  the  citizen  of 


326  Grace 

heaven  is  instructed  to  be  in  subjection  to  govern- 
ments: "Let  every  soul  be  subject  unto  the  higher 
powers.  For  there  is  no  power  but  of  God:  the 
powers  that  be  are  ordained  of  God.  Whosoever 
therefore  resisteth  the  power,  resisteth  the  ordinance 
of  God:  and  they  that  resist  shall  receive  to  them- 
selves damnation  [judgment].  For  rulers  are  not  a 
terror  to  good  works,  but  to  the  evil.  Wilt  thou 
then  not  be  afraid  of  the  power?  do  that  which  is 
good,  and  thou  shalt  have  praise  of  the  same:  for 
he  is  the  minister  of  God  to  thee  for  good.  But  if 
thou  do  that  which  is  evil,  be  afraid;  for  he  beareth 
not  the  sword  in  vain :  for  he  is  the  minister  of  God, 
a  revenger  to  execute  wrath  upon  him  that  doeth 
evil.  Wherefore  ye  must  needs  be  subject,  not  only 
for  wrath,  but  also  for  conscience  sake.  For  for  this 
cause  pay  ye  tribute  also:  for  they  are  God's  minis- 
ters, attending  continually  upon  this  very  thing. 
Render  therefore  to  all  their  dues:  tribute  to  whom 
tribute  is  due ;  custom  to  whom  custom ;  fear  to  whom 
fear;  honour  to  whom  honour"  (Rom.  13:  1-7); 
"Submit  yourselves  to  every  ordinance  of  man  for 
the  Lord's  sake:  whether  it  be  to  the  king,  as 
supreme;  or  unto  governors,  as  unto  them  that  are 
sent  by  him  for  the  punishment  of  evildoers,  and 
for  the  praise  of  them  that  do  well.  For  so  is  the 
will  of  God,  that  with  well  doing  ye  may  put  to 
silence  the  ignorance  of  foolish  men :  as  free,  and  not 
using  your  liberty  for  a  cloak  of  maliciousness,  but 
as  the  servants  of  God.  Honour  all  men.  Love  the 
brotherhood.  Fear  God.  Honour  the  king"  (1  Pet. 
2:13-17). 


The  Life  under  Grace  327 

c.    To  the  unsaved  individual. 

The  consistent  attitude  of  the  Christian  is  the  same 
as  that  of  his  Lord  who  died  for  lost  men.  As  He  is, 
so  are  we,  and  therefore  we  are  to  manifest  His 
spirit  in  this  world. 

Of  his  own  attitude  toward  lost  men,  the  Apostle 
Paul  wrote :  ' '  For  the  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us ; 
because  we  thus  judge,  that  if  one  died  for  all,  then 
were  all  dead  [all  died  in  the  Substitute]  ...  Where- 
fore henceforth  know  we  no  man  after  the  flesh :  yea, 
though  we  have  known  Christ  after  the  flesh,  yet  now 
henceforth  know  we  him  no  more"  (2  Cor.  5:  14-16). 
Having  beheld  Christ  as  God's  Lamb  which  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world,  and  the  One  who  died  for 
dtt,  and  in  whose  death  all  have  partaken,  the 
Apostle  says:  "Henceforth  know  we  no  man  after 
the  flesh."  The  usual  distinctions  among  men,  of 
Jew  and  Gentile,  rich  and  poor,  bond  and  free,  are 
submerged  in  the  overwhelming  estimation  of  that 
which  is  accomplished  for  all  men  through  the  death 
of  Christ.  The  Apostle  now  recognizes  them  only  as 
men  for  whom  Christ  has  died.  This  conception  of 
the  estate  of  the  unsaved  is  the  normal  one  for  all 
Christians,  and  it  leads  on  to  a  reasonable  service 
for  Christ  in  soul-winning. 

7.     With  the  whole  body  of  Christ. 

The  Epistles  of  the  New  Testament  disclose  the 
basis  for  a  fellowship  and  kinship  within  the  com- 
pany of  the  redeemed  which  exists  in  no  other 
association  of  people  in  this  world,  and  this  union 
calls  for  a  corresponding  manner  of  conduct  from  the 


328  Grace 

Christian    toward    fellow-believers.    This    relation- 
ship is  seven-fold: 

a.  A  Christian's  relation  to  other  Christians  *n 
general. 

Love  is  revealed  as  the  underlying  principle  of  this 
relationship.  It  is  embodied  in  the  first  command- 
ment of  Christ  in  the  grace  teachings  of  the 
upper  room:  "A  new  commandment  I  give  unto 
you,  That  ye  love  one  another;  as  I  have  loved  you, 
that  ye  also  love  one  another.  By  this  shall  all  men 
know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to 
another"  (John  13:34,35).  This  same  truth  is  Bet 
forth  in  many  passages.  "We  know  that  we  have 
passed  from  death  unto  life,  because  we  love  the 
brethren"  (1  John  3: 14) ;  "And  whether  one  mem- 
ber suffer,  all  the  members  suffer  with  it ;  or  one  mem- 
ber be  honoured,  all  the  members  rejoice  with  it" 
(1  Cor.  12:26) ;  "And  walk  in  love,  as  Christ  also 
hath  loved  us"  (Eph.  5:2);  "Beloved,  let  us  love  one 
another:  for  love  is  of  God";  "Beloved,  if  God  so 
loved  us,  we  ought  also  to  love  one  another"  (1  John 
4:7,11);  "Let  brotherly  love  continue"  (Heb. 
13 : 1)  ;  "Let  love  be  without  dissimulation."  This  is 
one  of  the  great  passages  on  Christian  love  and  care 
one  for  another.  The  whole  context  should  be  read 
(Rom.  12:9-16).  "Put  on  therefore,  as  the  elect  of 
God,  holy  and  beloved,  bowels  of  mercies,  kindness, 
humbleness  of  mind,  meekness,  longsuffering ;  for- 
bearing one  another,  and  forgiving  one  another,  if 
any  man  have  a  quarrel  against  any:  even  as  Christ 
forgave  you,  so  also  do  ye"  (Col.  3:12,13). 
"Finally,  be  ye  all  of  one  mind,  having  compassion 


The  Life  under  Grace  329 

one  of  another,  love  as  brethren,  be  pitiful,  be 
courteous:  not  rendering  evil  for  evil,  or  railing  for 
railing:  but  contrariwise  blessing;  knowing  that  ye 
are  thereunto  called,  that  ye  should  inherit  a  bless- 
ing" (1  Pet.  3:8,9);  "And  above  all  things  have 
fervent  charity  among  yourselves:  for  charity  shall 
cover  the  multitude  of  sins.  Use  hospitality  one  to 
another  without  grudging"  (1  Pet.  4:8,  9). 

The  Christian  is  called  upon  to  recognize  the 
vital  union  into  which  he  has  been  brought  by  the 
baptism  with  the  spirit:  "I  therefore,  the  prisoner 
of  the  Lord,  beseech  you  that  ye  walk  worthy  of  the 
vocation  wherewith  ye  are  called,  with  all  lowliness 
and  meekness,  with  longsuffering,  forbearing  one  an- 
other in  love;  endeavoring  to  keep  the  unity  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace"  (Eph.  4:1-3). 

Special  emphasis  is  given  as  well  to  Christian  kind' 
ness:  "Let  all  bitterness,  and  wrath,  and  anger,  and 
clamour,  and  evil  speaking,  be  put  away  from  you, 
with  all  malice:  and  be  ye  kind  one  to  another, 
tenderhearted,  forgiving  one  another,  even  as  God 
for  Christ's  sake  hath  forgiven  you"  (Eph.  4 :  31,  32) ; 
' '  That  no  man  go  beyond  and  defraud  his  brother  in 
any  matter:  because  that  the  Lord  is  the  avenger  of 
all  such,  as  we  also  have  forewarned  you  and  testi- 
fied;" "But  as  touching  brotherly  love  ye  need  not 
that  I  write  unto  you:  for  ye  yourselves  are  taught 
of  God  to  love  one  another"  (1  Thes.  4:6,9); 
"Wherefore  comfort  yourselves  together,  and  edify 
one  another,  even  as  also  ye  do"  (1  Thes.  5:11); 
"Speak  not  evil  one  of  another,  brethren"  (Jas. 
4:11). 

Christians  are  to  submit  one  to  another  and  in 


33°  Grace 

honor  prefer  one  another:  "Submitting  yourselves 
one  to  another  in  the  fear  of  God"  (Eph.  5:21); 
"Let  nothing  be  done  through  strife  or  vainglory; 
but  in  lowliness  of  mind  let  each  esteem  others  better 
than  themselves.  Look  not  every  man  on  his  own 
things,  but  every  man  also  on  the  things  of  others" 
(Phil.  2:3,  4)  ;  "Likewise,  ye  younger,  submit  your- 
selves unto  the  elder.  Yea,  all  of  you  be  subject  one 
to  another,  and  be  clothed  with  humility:  for  God 
resisteth  the  proud,  and  giveth  grace  to  the  humble" 
(IPet.  5:5). 

The  Christian's  gifts  are  to  be  especially  directed 
to  the  need  of  the  children  of  God:  "As  we  have 
therefore  opportunity,  let  us  do  good  unto  all  men, 
especially  unto  them  who  are  of  the  household  of 
faith"  (Gal.  6:10);  "But  whoso  hath  this  world's 
good,  and  seeth  his  brother  have  need,  and  shutteth 
up  his  bowels  of  compassion  from  him,  how  dwelleth 
the  love  of  God  in  him?"  (1  John  3: 17). 

Prayer  is  to  be  offered  for  all  saints:  "Praying 
always  with  all  prayer  and  supplication  in  the  Spirit, 
and  watching  thereunto  with  all  perseverance  and 
supplication  for  all  saints"  (Eph.  6:18);  "Confess 
your  faults  one  to  another,  and  pray  one  for  another, 
that  ye  may  be  healed"  (Jas.  5: 16). 

b.  A  Christian's  relation  to  those  who  are  in 
authority  in  the  assembly  of  believers. 

On  this  important  question  the  Word  of  God  is  ex- 
plicit and  comment  is  unnecessary :  ' '  Remember  them 
which  have  the  rule  over  you,  who  have  spoken  unto 
you  the  word  of  God :  whose  faith  follow,  considering 
the  end  of  their  conversation"  (Heb.  13:7) ;  "Obey 


The  Life  under  Grace  331 

them  that  have  the  rule  over  you,  and  submit  your- 
selves: for  they  watch  for  your  souls,  as  they  that 
must  give  account,  that  they  may  do  it  with  joy,  and 
not  with  grief:  for  that  is  unprofitable  for  you" 
(Heb.  13:17);  "And  we  beseech  you,  brethren,  to 
know  them  which  labour  among  you,  and  are  over 
you  in  the  Lord,  and  admonish  you;  and  to  esteem 
them  very  highly  for  their  work's  sake.  And  be  at 
peace  among  yourselves"  (1  Thes.  5:12,13).  To 
this  body  of  truth  should  be  added  all  of  the  pastoral 
Epistles. 

c.  The  relation  of  Christian  husbands  and  wives. 
The  grace  teaching  on  this  aspect   of   Christian 

relationship  is  also  explicit:  "Husbands,  love  your 
wives,  even  as  Christ  also  loved  the  church,  and  gave 
himself  for  it;"  "Wives,  submit  yourselves  unto  your 
own  husbands,  as  unto  the  Lord"  (Eph.  5:22,  25. 
Cf  Eph.  5 :  21-33 ;  Col.  3 : 18,  19 ;  1  Pet.  3:1-7). 

d.  The  relation  of  Christian  parents  and  children. 
"And,  ye  fathers,  provoke  not  your  children  to 

wrath :  but  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admon- 
ition of  the  Lord;"  "Children,  obey  your  parents 
in  the  Lord:  for  this  is  right"  (Eph.  6: 1,  4.  Cf  Eph. 
6:1-4;  Col.  3 :  20,  21 ) .  From  this  body  of  revelation 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  children  of  Christian  parents 
are  to  be  governed  as  in  the  Lord.  One  of  the  con- 
ditions which  will  characterize  the  last  days  of  this 
age  will  be  the  disobedience  of  children  (2  Tim.  3:2). 

e.  The  relation  of  Christian  masters  and  servants. 
"Servants,  obey  in  all  things  your  masters  accord- 
ing to  the  flesh ;  not  with  eyeservice,  as  menpleasers ; 


332  Grace 

but  in  singleness  of  heart,  fearing  God;"  "Masters, 
give  unto  your  servants  that  which  is  just  and  equal ; 
knowing  that  ye  also  have  a  Master  in  heaven" 
(Col.  3:22  to  4:1.  Cf  Eph.  6:5-9). 

f.    A  Christian's  obligation  to  an  erring  brother. 

"Brethren,  if  a  man  be  overtaken  in  a  fault,  ye 
which  are  spiritual,  restore  such  an  one  in  the  spirit 
of  meekness;  considering  thyself,  lest  thou  also  be 
tempted"  (Gal.  6:1);  "Now  we  exhort  you,  brethren, 
warn  them  that  are  unruly,  comfort  the  feebleminded, 
support  the  weak,  be  patient  toward  all  men" 
(1  Thes.  5:14)  ;  "Now  we  command  you,  brethren, 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  ye  with- 
draw yourselves  from  every  brother  that  walketh 
disorderly,  and  not  after  the  tradition  which  ye  re- 
ceived of  us";  "For  we  hear  that  there  are  some 
which  walk  among  you  disorderly,  working  not  at 
all,  but  are  busybodies  .  .  .  yet  count  him  not  as  an 
enemy,  but  admonish  him  as  a  brother"  (2  Thes. 
3:6,11-15). 

A  sharp  distinction  must  be  drawn  at  this  point 
between  a  disorderly  brother  who  is  a  busybody, 
shirking  his  honest  toil,  and  careless  in  matters  of 
Christian  conduct,  on  the  one  hand,  and  a  sincere 
believer  who  may  disagree  with  another  on  a  matter 
of  interpretation,  on  the  other  hand.  Endless  con- 
fusion and  disgraceful  contention  has  followed  the 
exercise  of  unwarranted  freedom  among  sincere 
believers  in  separating  from  each  other  over  minor 
questions  of  doctrine.  Should  one  fail  to  hold  the 
true  doctrine  of  Christ  (2  John  9-11),  that  one  can 
have  no  rightful  place  in  a  Christian  communion; 


The  Life  under  Grace  333 

but  men  have  divided  over  secondary  issues  and  have 
gone  so  far  as  to  exclude  earnest  Christians  from 
their  fellowship  with  whom  perchance  they  disagree 
in  a  minor  question  of  doctrine.  Such  separation 
is  unscriptural,  a  violation  of  the  priceless  unity  of 
the  Spirit,  and  foreign  to  the  order  of  grace.  There 
is  Scripture  teaching  concerning  Christian  discipline, 
but  it  does  not  necessarilly  impose  a  penalty  of 
separation.  The  brother  who  may  have  been  over- 
taken in  a  fault  is  to  be  restored,  and  only  by  one 
who  is  himself  spiritual.  This  he  must  do  in  the 
spirit  of  meekness  considering  his  own  utter  weakness 
apart  from  the  enabling  power  of  God.  No  other 
may  undertake  this  important  service.  If  the  erring 
brother  proves  to  be  persistent  in  his  fault,  it  is 
required  that  he  be  debarred  from  the  fellowship  of 
believers  until  he  has  seen  the  error  of  his  way. 
Equally  sincere  brethren  must  not  break  fellowship, 
however,  over  minor  issues.  Of  those  who  are  thus 
disposed,  the  Apostle  writes:  "Now  I  beseech  you, 
brethren,  mark  them  which  cause  divisions  and 
offences  contrary  to  the  doctrine  which  ye  have 
learned;  and  avoid  them.  For  they  that  are  such 
serve  not  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  their  own  belly ; 
and  by  good  words  and  fair  speeches  deceive  the 
hearts  of  the  simple"  (Rom.  16:17,  18). 

g.    A  Christian's  obligations  to  a  weak  brother. 

The  tender  conscience  of  a  weak  brother  must  be 
considered.  This  important  principle  applies  to  very 
many  questions  of  the  day.  In  the  Apostles'  time 
there  was  a  grave  question  concerning  the  eating  of 
meat  which  had  been  offered  to  idols  and  was  after- 


334  Grace 

wards  placed  in  the  public  market  for  sale.  There 
were  those  who  had  only  recently  been  saved  and 
rescued  from  the  grip  of  the  power  of  idol  worship. 
There  were  others  who  were  so  deeply  prejudiced 
by  their  former  experiences  with  idols  that,  while 
saved  and  free,  they  were  not  willing  even  to  touch 
anything  connected  with  an  idol.  It  would  be 
natural  to  say  that  the  first  class  should  know  better 
than  to  be  drawn  back  to  idols,  and  that  the  second 
class  should  be  made  to  give  up  their  prejudice;  but 
this  is  not  according  to  the  "law  of  love."  It  is 
written:  "Him  that  is  weak  in  the  faith  receive  ye, 
but  not  to  doubtful  disputations.  For  one  believeth 
that  he  may  eat  all  things:  another,  who  is  weak, 
eateth  herbs.  Let  not  him  that  eateth  despise  him 
that  eateth  not;  and  let  not  him  which  eateth  not 
judge  him.  that  eateth:  for  God  hath  received  him. 
Who  art  thou  that  judgest  another  man's  servant? 
to  his  own  master  he  standeth  or  falleth.  Yea,  he 
shall  be  holden  up:  for  God  is  able  to  make  him 
stand"  (Rom.  14:1-4). 

From  this  passage  it  is  clear  that  instruction  is  also 
given  to  the  weaker  brother  to  the  intent  that  he  shall 
not  "judge"  the  Christian  who,  through  years  of 
Christian  training  and  deeper  understanding  of  the 
liberty  in  grace,  is  free  to  do  what  he  himself  in  his 
limitations  may  not  be  able  to  do.  There  is  hardly 
a  more  important  exhortation  for  Christians  to-day 
than  this.  The  cure  is  clearly  revealed :  God  reserves 
the  right  to  correct  and  direct  the  life  of  His  own 
child.  Much  hurtful  criticism  might  be  avoided  if 
Christians  would  only  believe  this  and  trust  Him  to 
do  with  His  own  child  what  He  purposes  to  do.  God 


The  Life  under  Grace  335 

is  the  master  before  whom  alone  the  servant  standeth 
or  falleth.  The  passage  continues:  "But  if  thy 
brother  be  grieved  with  thy  meat,  now  walkest  thou 
not  charitably.  Destroy  not  him  with  thy  meat,  for 
whom  Christ  died.  .  .  .  For  meat  destroy  not  the 
work  of  God.  All  things  indeed  are  pure;  but  it  is 
evil  for  that  man  who  eateth  with  offense  [to  his  own 
convictions].  It  is  good  neither  to  eat  flesh,  nor  to 
drink  wine,  nor  any  thing  whereby  thy  brother  stum- 
bleth,  or  is  offended,  or  is  made  weak.  Hast  thou 
faith?  have  it  to  thyself  before  God.  Happy  is  he 
that  condemneth  not  himself  in  that  thing  which  he 
alloweth.  And  he  that  doubteth  is  damned  [con- 
demned] if  he  eat,  because  he  eateth  not  of  faith :  for 
whatsoever  is  not  of  faith  is  sin"  (Rom.  14:15-23). 
"Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens,  and  so  fulfil  the  law 
of  Christ"  (Gal.  6:2). 

Due  regard  for  the  conscience  and  liberty  of  others 
is  two-fold :  On  the  one  hand,  let  the  strong  be  chari- 
table toward  the  weak.  On  the  other  hand,  let  the 
weak  desist  from  judgment  of  the  strong.  The  result 
will  be  a  mutual  fellowship  and  an  exercise  of  all  the 
liberties  of  grace. 

2.    "I  IN  You/' 

The  believer's  new  sphere  consists  not  only  in  his 
place  in  Christ  with  its  positions,  possessions,  safe- 
keeping, and  associations;  it  consists  as  well,  in  the 
fact  that  Christ  is  in  the  believer. 

The  Scriptures  teach  that  God  the  Father  (Eph. 
4:6),  that  God  the  Son  (Col.  1:27),  and  that  God 
the  Spirit  (1  Cor.  6: 19)  indwell  every  child  of  God. 


336  Grace 

No  doubt  the  mystery  of  the  unity  of  the  Godhead  is 
involved  in  this  revelation ;  for  it  is  also  said  that  the 
Christian  has  partaken  of  the  divine  nature,  and  this 
divine  nature  is  not  identified  as  being  one  only  of 
the  three  Persons  of  the  Trinity.  The  divine  nature 
is  evidently  the  indwelling  presence  of  God — Father, 
Son,  and  Spirit.  There  is  a  body  of  truth  which 
teaches  that  God,  in  the  unity  of  the  three  Persons, 
dwells  in  the  heart  of  the  child  of  God.  Likewise 
there  is  an  even  greater  body  of  Scripture  which  em- 
phasizes the  indwelling  of  the  believer  by  the  indi- 
vidual Persons  of  the  Godhead.  When  the  full  unity 
of  God  is  in  view,  it  is  usually  spoken  of  as  the  in- 
dwelling Christ.  As  indwelling  the  Christian,  the 
Spirit  of  God  is  once  spoken  of  as  "the  Spirit  of 
Christ"  (Rom.  8:9). 

It  may  be  concluded,  therefore,  that  the  phrase  I  in 
you  is  to  be  received  as  referring  to  the  whole  divine 
Person — Father,  Son,  and  Spirit.  The  result  of  this 
indwelling  of  Christ  is  three-fold:  (1)  A  new  divine 
life,  (2)  A  new  enabling  power,  and  (3)  A  new  "hope 
of  glory." 

First.    A  New  Divine  Life. 

The  branch  is  in  the  vine  and  the  vine  by  its  life 
and  vitality  is  in  the  branch.  Thus  the  believer  is 
in  Christ  and  Christ  is  in  the  believer.  The  new  im- 
parted life  is  Christ,  and  is  therefore  eternal  because 
He  is  eternal.  When  only  the  question  of  an  un- 
broken manifestation  of  that  new  life  is  under 
consideration,  it  is  said  to  depend  on  abiding  in  Christ 
as  the  sole  condition.  The  believer's  place,  or  posi- 
tion, in  Christ  is  neither  attained,  nor  maintained, 


The  Life  under  Grace  337 

through  abiding  in  Him.  That  position  is  instantly 
wrought  by  the  power  of  God  through  grace  for  every 
one  who  believes.  Nor  is  the  possession  of  the  divine 
life,  which  is  the  indwelling  Christ,  secured  by  abid- 
ing in  Him;  it  is  the  "gift  of  God."  However,  the 
normal  manifestation  of  that  life  does  depend  on 
abiding  in  Him.  Abiding  is  simply  the  right  adjust- 
ment between  the  Christian  and  his  Lord.  "If  ye 
keep  my  commandments,  ye  shall  abide  in  my  love; 
even  as  I  have  kept  my  Father 's  commandments,  and 
abide  in  his  love"  (John  15:10).  How  important, 
then,  it  is  that  the  Christian  should  understand 
precisely  what  is  included  and  required  in  the  com- 
mandments of  Christ!  As  pointed  out  before,  the 
commandments  of  Christ  are  only  His  grace  teach- 
ings; this  term  being  not  once  employed  by  Christ 
before  He  began  in  the  upper  room  to  unfold  the 
believer's  life  and  walk  in  grace. 

Eternal,  divine  life,  therefore,  is  Christ  indwelling 
the  believer  by  His  Spirit  and  that  life  is  the  present 
possesion  of  all  who  believe.     The  victories,  joys,  and 
fruits  of  that  life  depend  upon  abiding  in  Him  which  / 
abiding  is  accomplished  only  by  doing  His  will. 

Second.    A  New  Enabling  Power. 

The  theme  of  the  enabling  power  of  God,  being  one 
of  the  most  vital  in  the  divine  plan  of  grace,  though 
before  mentioned,  should  at  this  point  be  reviewed  in 
its  two-fold  aspect: 

1.     Christian  character. 

Under  the  law  relationship  between  God  and  man, 
character  was  the  product  of  the  energy  and  struggle 


338  Grace 

of  the  flesh.  This,  too,  is  the  conception  of  human 
character  which  is  held  by  the  world,  and,  alas, 
through  false  teaching,  it  is  the  only  one  in  the  minds 
of  many  Christians.  It  is  commonly  preached  that 
the  sum-total  of  an  individual's  acts  will  determine 
his  habits,  the  sum-total  of  his  habits  will  determine 
his  character,  and  the  sum-total  of  his  character  will 
determine  his  destiny.  Whatever  may  have  been  true 
under  the  law,  this  doctrine  is  foreign  to  grace.  Des- 
tiny is  not  now  determined  by  self-promoted  char- 
acter ;  it  depends  only  on  the  faith  which  receives  the 
saving  grace  of  God.  Heaven's  glory  will  not  be  a 
display  of  human  character ;  it  is  to  be  the  unveiling 
of  the  riches  of  grace  in  Christ  Jesus.  Nor  is  Chris- 
tian character  a  product  of  the  flesh;  it  is  "the  fruit 
of  the  Spirit."  The  divine  record  of  all  that  enters 
into  true  Christian  character  is  stated  thus:  "But  the 
fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  longsuffering, 
gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance" 
(self-control,  Gal.  5:22,  23). 

These  graces  are  elements  of  divine  character  which 
are  never  found  unless  divinely  wrought.  They  are 
"the  fruit  of. the  Spirit. "  They  are  never  gained  by 
struggle,  long  or  short;  they  are  the  immediate  ex- 
perience of  every  believer  who  comes  into  right 
adjustment  with  the  Spirit.  Therefore  the  way  to  a 
victorious  life  is  not  by  self-develogment ;  it  is 
through  a  "walk  in  the  Spirit."  In  the  context  in 
which  the  above  passage  appears,  the  Apostle  also 
states : ' '  This  I  say  then,  "Walk  in  the  Spirit  [by  means 
of  the  Spirit],  and  ye  shall  not  fulfil  the  lust  of  the 
flesh"  (5:16).  The  believer's  responsibility  is  not 
the  walk ;  it  is  rather  that  of  yieldedness  to  the  Spirit 


The  Life  under  Grace  339 

who  promotes  the  walk.  When  thus  yielded,  the  re- 
sult is  instant  and  perfect:  "Ye  shall  not  fulfil  the 
lust  of  the  flesh."  So  long  as  the  walk  is  continued 
by  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  this  spiritual  life  will  be 
experienced.  Should  the  adjustment  to  the  Spirit 
cease,  the  walk  must  cease,  and  the  flesh  will  again  be 
manifested. 

The  New  Testament  term,  "the  flesh,"  indicates 
the  sum-total  of  what  the  natural  man  is — body,j5oul_ 
and  spirit.  Within  this  whole,  and  as  a  part  of  it,  is 
the  fallen  Adamic  nature-^-sm.  Three  means  for  the 
control  of  the  sin-nature  are  taught — two  of  which 
are  the  product  of  human  reason  and  one  the  revealed 
provision  of  God: 

a.    Is  the  sin-nature  controlled  by  eradication? 

Though  this  theory  is  advanced  by  certain  schools 
of  thought  it  lacks  the  support  of  even  one  passage  of 
Scripture.  It  is  accepted  because  it  seems  reasonable, 
the  thought  being  that  if  the  source  of  sin  is  checked, 
would  not  the  flow  cease?  Doubtless  it  would;  but 
God  has  revealed  no  such  program. 

If  eradication  of  the  sin-nature  were  accomplished, 
there  would  be  no  physical  death ;  for  physical  death 
is  the  result  of  that  nature  (Rom.  5: 12-21) ;  parents 
who  had  experienced  eradication  would,  of  necessity, 
•r.T.craU'  unfallcn  chihvn.  ]>ut  ;t'  eradication  wore 
secured,  there  would  still  be  the  conflict  with  the 
world,  the  flesh  (apart  from  the  sin-nature),  and  the 
devil ;  for  eradication  of  these  is  obviously  unscrip- 
tural  and  is  not  included  in  the  theory  itself.  As 
God  purposes  to  deal  with  the  world,  the  flesh,  and 
the  devil,  thus  He  proposes  to  deal  with  the  sin-nature 


34°  Grace 

•which  is  a  part  of  the  flesh.  The  full  deliverance  is 
by  the  overcoming  power  of  the  Spirit  through  the 
work  of  Christ  on  the  cross.  The  work  of  Christ  on 
the  cross  secured  the  judgment  of  the  old  nature 
(Rom.  6:6);  but  it  also  secured  the  judgment  of  the 
world  (Gal.  6:14),  the  flesh  (Gal.  5:24),  and  the 
devil  (Col.  2:15).  The  work  of  Christ  is  a  divine 
judgment  which  has  made  it  righteously  possible  for 
God  to  control  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil  as 
they  may  affect  the  believer.  Within  the  flesh,  and 
as  a  part  of  it,  is  the  sin-nature.  This  nature  is  no 
more  subject  to  eradication  than  is  the  world,  the 
flesh,  or  the  devil.  The  divine  plan  for  the  deliver- 
ance of  the  believer  from  the  power  of  the  sin-nature 
is  exactly  the  same  as  for  the  deliverance  from  the 
other  opposing  principles.  It  is  by  the  overcoming 
power  of  the  Spirit  made  possible  through  the  death 
of  Christ. 

This  provision  brings  the  child  of  God  into  moment- 
by-moment  dependence  upon  his  Lord.  It  drives  him 
to  the  most  intimate  relationship  with  God.  Eradica- 
tion, if  it  were  true,  would  tend  to  wean  the  Christian 
from  Christ  in  the  measure  in  which  it  would  fit  him 
to  get  on  alone.  In  the  midst  of  the  description  of 
the  divine  ideal  for  a  spiritual  walk,  it  is  said  that  the 
victory  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Spirit  is  lusting 
against  the  flesh,  therefore,  when  walking  by  means 
of  the  Spirit,  "ye  cannot  do  the  things  that  ye  other- 
wise would"  (5 : 17).  It  is  evident  from  this  passage 
wherein  the  highest  ideal  of  life  is  presented  that  the 
flesh  is  contemplated  as  being  present,  but  it  is  under 
the  control  of  the  Spirit. 


The  Life  under  Grace  341 

b.  7s  the  sin-nature  controlled  ~by  rules? 

It  is  proposed  by  others  that  the  flesh  shall  be  con- 
trolled by  rules  and  regulations.  The  seeming  sanc- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  for  this  theory  is  gained  by 
turning  to  the  law;  for  under  the  law,  the  flesh  was 
to  be  governed  by  rules.  The  law-history  of  1500 
years,  however,  is  sufficient  evidence  of  the  failure  of 
this  method;  yet  it  seems  impossible  for  many  to  be 
delivered  from  the  belief  that  a  spiritual  life  may  be 
gained  by  the  keeping  of  rules.  It  is  supposed  that 
the  divine  ideal  has  been  realized  when  people  have 
been  induced  to  attempt  to  regulate  their  lives  by 

rules. 

*s 

c.  Is  the  sin-nature  controlled  by  the  Spirit f 

According  to  the  Scriptures,  such  is  the  divine  plan 
for  the  control  of  the  flesh  in  the  believer's  life  under 
grace.  It  provides  all  that  God  desires  or  requires 
in  any  life,  and  brings  the  saved  one  into  the  closest 
fellowship  with  God,  and  into  constant  dependence 
upon  the  Spirit.  It  is  the  only  victory  possible  for 
the  Christian  to  experience;  for  it  only  is  according 
to  the  purpose  and  Word  of  God. 

If  the  quality  of  the  believer's  daily  life  is  to  be 
improved,  what  steps  are  to  be  taken?  "Will  carnality 
and  coldness  of  heart  be  corrected  by  enforcing  rules 
of  conduct?  When  a  carnal  Christian  does  not  wish 
to  do  the  will  of  God,  will  God  be  satisfied  if  that 
Christian  merely  complies  externally  with  the  law  of 
God?  The  answer  is  obvious.  God  looks  on  the  heart. 
In  the  provisions  of  grace,  God  proposes  to  change  the 


342  Grace 

desires  of  the  heart  and  to  empower  unto  the  full 
realization  of  these  God-wrought  desires.  The  law 
could  work  no  change  in  the  heart,  nor  can  the 
attempt  to  keep  rules;  but  the  Spirit  can  change  the 
desires.  The  law  could  give  no  enabling  power;  but 
the  Spirit  can.  Therefore  it  is  said:  "But  if  ye  be 
led  of  the  Spirit,  ye  are  not  under  the  law"  (Gal. 
5: 18)  ;  and  against  the  "fruit  of  the  Spirit,"  "there 
is  no  law"  (Gal.  5:23);  again,  "For  sin  shall  not 
have  dominion  over  you:  for  ye  are  not  under  the 
law,  but  under  grace"  (Rom.  6: 14). 

2.     Christian  conduct. 

The  manner  of  the  Christian 's  life,  including  every 
activity  of  the  child  of  God,  is  described  in  the  Scrip- 
tures by  the  words  walk  and  conversation.  This 
aspect  of  the  truth  is  to  be  distinguished  from  the 
believer's  character.  The  walk  refers  to  that  which 
is  outward ;  while  character — "the  fruit  of  the  Spirit" 
— is  inward.  In  point  of  importance,  character  is 
supreme;  for  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the 
mouth  speaketh.  Under  grace,  God  proposes  by  the 
Spirit  first  to  create  the  heavenly  motives  and  desires, 
and  then,  by  the  same  Spirit,  to  empower  the  life 
unto  the  full  realization  of  those  desires.  "While  these 
heavenly  desires  are  said  to  be  "the  fruit  of  the 
Spirit, ' '  the  resulting  activities  are  said  to  be  the  exer- 
cise of  a  "gift"  through  the  Spirit.  A  "gift,"  like 
the  "fruit"  of  the  Spirit,  is  never  a  product  of  the 
flesh  nor  any  ability  within  the  flesh.  The  Spirit  may 
choose  to  use  the  native  ability,  but  a  "gift"  is  the 
direct  undertaking  of  the  Spirit  in  and  through  the 
human  instrument.  It  is  the  Spirit  doing  a  work  and 


The  Life  under  Grace  343 

using  the  one  in  whom  He  dwells  to  do  it.  Thus  both 
Christian  character  and  Christian  conduct  are  de- 
pendent on  the  enabling  ministration  of  the  Spirit. 
This  divine  provision  is  not  merely  for  crisis-moments 
in  the  experience  of  the  Christian;  it  is  for  every 
moment,  whether  it  be  one  of  activity  or  one  of  rest. 

The  divine  standards  for  the  believer's  character 
and  conduct  are  superhuman.  This  is  reasonable 
since  he  is  a  citizen  of  heaven.  The  superhuman 
manner  of  life  becoming  to  a  heavenly  citizen  is  to  be 
lived  by  the  enabling,  supernatural  power  of  the 
Spirit.  The  Spirit  has  taken  up  His  abode  in  the 
heart  in  order  that  He  may  undertake  this  for  the 
child  of  God,  and  if  He  does  not  accomplish  His  work, 
it  is  because  He  is  hindered  by  the  carnality  of  an 
unyielded  life.  The  problem  of  improvement  in  the 
conduct  of  a  Christian  is  never  solved  by  the  applica- 
tion of  laws,  nor  by  exhorting  and  stimulating  the 
flesh;  it  is  only  solved  by  adjustment  to  the  Spirit. 
When  Spirit-filled,  the  child  of  God  is  both  moved 
to  glorify  God  in  every  moment  of  life,  and  is 
enabled  to  realize  that  heavenly  ideal. 

There  is  much  said  in  the  Scriptures  about  the 
Christian  life  being  a  "warfare,"  a  "fight,"  and  a 
"race."  The  Christian  is  to  be  watchful,  steadfast, 
and  unmovable.  He  is  not  exhorted  to  attempt  to 
do  what  the  Spirit  alone  can  do ;  he  is  rather  to  main- 
tain the  attitude  of  co-operation  with,  and  yielded- 
ness  to,  and  dependence  on,  the  Spirit. 

The  grace-manner  of  life  in  the  Spirit  will  be  lived 
according  to  the  grace  teachings.  These  teachings, 
or  principles  of  life,  are  written  both  to  prepare  the 
Christian  for  an  intelligent  walk  in  the  Spirit,  and  to 


344  Grace 

furnish  a  norm  by  which  he  may  compare  his  daily 
life  with  the  divine  ideal.  The  grace  teachings  are 
not  laws;  they  are  suggestions.  They  are  not  de- 
mands; they  are  l>eseeching.s..  They  are  not  followed 
in  order  to  gain  acceptance  or  favor;  they  are  ac- 
knowledged and  followed  in  the  glad  assurance  of 
present  acceptance  and  completeness  in  Christ  through 
grace. 

There  are  three  laws,  or  principles,  which  character- 
ize the  teachings  of  grace  concerning  the  manner  of 
the  daily  life  of  the  believer: 

a.    The  perfect  law  of  liberty. 

The  child  of  God  is  free.  He  has  been  delivered 
from  every  aspect  of  the  law — as  a  rule  of  life,  as  an 
obligation  to  make  himself  acceptable  to  God,  and  as 
a  dependence  on  the  impotent  flesh.  Likewise,  he  has 
been  delivered  from  ideals  and  conventionalities  of 
the  world.  He  is  as  free  in  himself  as  though  he  had 
already  passed  on  into  heaven.  He  has  been  brought 
into  the  priceless  liberty  of  grace.  Against  the 
spoiling  of  this  liberty  the  Christian  is  to  contend: 
"Stand  fast  therefore  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ 
hath  made  us  free,  and  be  not  entangled  again  with 
the  yoke  of  bondage"  (Gal.  5:1).  The  actual  experi- 
ence of  contending  for  the  preservation  of  liberty 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  is  foreign  to  the  great  mass 
of  nominal  Christians.  Pressing  in  on  every  hand  are 
the  false  teachings  of  a  law-ridden  church,  the  fleshly 
ideals  of  the  world  and  its  god,  the  natural  rational- 
ism of  the  human  mind,  and  the  ever-present  tendency 
to  depend  on  self.  Against  all  this,  the  fact  of  true 
liberty  in  Christ  is  little  known.  It  is  therefore  im- 


The  Life  under  Grace  345 

portant  that  the  scope  and  character  of  Christian 
liberty  be  defined,  and,  in  so  doing,  no  aspect  of  lib- 
erty is  in  view  other  than  the  liberty  which  belongs 
to  the  child  of  God  under  grace. 

The  word  liberty  is  defined  thus:  "The  state  of  be- 
ing exempt  from  the  dominion  of  others,  or  from 
restricting  circumstances."  It  is  freedom  to  do 
according  to  one's  own  preference  and  choice.  It  is 
emancipation.  The  thought  of  necessity  and  servi- 
tude is  of  the  law.  Grace  glories  in  liberty  and  free- 
dom. 

Is  it  not  imperative  that  the  children  of  God  should 
be  placed  within  the  bounds  of  reasonable  law? 
Absolutely  No!  The  Christian's  liberty  to  do  pre- 
cisely as  he  chooses  is  as  limitless  and  perfect  as  any 
other  aspect  of  grace.  But  God  has  provided  a  suffic- 
ient safeguard  which  consists  in  the  fact  that  the 
divine  ideal  is  first  wrought  in  the  heart:  "For  it  is 
God  which  worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do  of 
his  good  pleasure"  (Phil.  2: 13). 

In  this  one  passage,  the  whole  divine  scheme  for  the 
believer's  life  under  grace  is  crystalized.  God  can 
propose  absolute  liberty  to  the  one  in  whom  He  is  so 
working  that  the  innermost  choice  is  only  that  which 
He  wills  for  him.  Having  molded  the  desires  of  the 
heart,  He  can  give  His  child  unbounded  freedom. 
There  is  no  other  freedom  in  the  world  but  this.  By 
the  inwrought  "fruit  of  the  Spirit,"  God  Himself  has 
determined  the  desires  of  the  heart.  The  outworking 
of  those  desires  will  be  according  to  His  own  energiz- 
ing power. 

Thus  the  character  and  the  daily  life  of  the  Chris- 
tian is  wrought  on  the  basis  of  pure  grace.  As  God 


346  Grace 

saves  and  keeps  in  grace  apart  from  every  human  as- 
sistance and  merit,  so,  in  like  manner,  He  proposes  to 
produce  the  character  and  conduct  of  His  child  apart 
from  every  assistance  or  intrusion  of  the  flesh.  ' '  Are 
ye  so  foolish  ?  having  begun  in  the  Spirit,  are  ye  now 
made  perfect  by  the  flesh?"  (Gal.  3:3).  In  harmony 
with  the  whole  program  of  divine  grace,  no  other  man- 
ner of  life  could  be  imposed  on  the  believer  than  the 
one  in  which  God  alone  undertakes  and  accomplishes. 
To  be  true  to  His  own  purposes  in  grace,  He  must 
not  only  create  the  motive  and  choice  of  the  heart 
but  He  must  provide  the  sufficient  power  for  its  exe- 
cution. 

Should  it  be  objected  that  this  is  an  idealism  which 
is  effective  only  with  a  limited  company  of  believers 
who  are  so  yielded  to  God  as  to  be  Spirit-filled,  and 
that  the  great  mass  of  carnal  Christians  must  be  held 
by  rules,  the  reply  would  be  that  carnal  Christians 
are  no  more  subject  to  law  than  are  the  spiritual 
Christians.  God  does  not  countenance  the  attitude 
of  the  carnal  Christian  to  the  extent  of  providing  a 
rule  of  government  for  him.  As  He  holds  only  one 
issue  before  the  unsaved — the  acceptance  of  Christ  as 
Saviour — likewise,  He  holds  only  one  issue  before  the 
carnal  Christian.  That  issue  is  not,  "Will  you  live 
in  a  way  which  is  in  harmony  with  your  carnality  I ' ' 
It  is,  rather,  "Yield  yourselves  unto  God,  as  those 
that  are  alive  from  the  dead,  and  your  members  as 
instruments  of  righteousness  unto  God"  (Rom.  6 : 13). 

The  carnal  Christian  is  abnormal.  His  position  is 
perfect  in  Christ,  but  in  character  and  conduct  he 
riolates  the  most  precious  principles  and  provisions 
of  grace.  The  divine  ideal  for  the  believer's  life  un- 


The  Life  under  Grace  347, 

der  grace  remains  unchangeable.  When  God  is  mold- 
ing the  desires  of  the  heart,  there  is  liberty.  When 
He  is  empowering  the  life,  there  is  victory. 

Thus  it  may  he  seen  that  grace  is  not  a  way  of 
escaping  obedience  to  God ;  it  is  the  only  possible  way 
in  which  true  obedience  can  be  secured.  The  Spirit- 
filled  believer  is  never  abandoned  to  self-will;  he  is 
"inlawed  to  Christ."  God  in  grace  does  not  lower 
standards;  He  proposes  and  gloriously  realizes  the 
very  character  and  conduct  of  heaven. 

b.     The  law  of  expediency. 

Because  of  the  Christian's  position  and  circum- 
stances in  the  world,  the  law  of  personal  liberty  in 
Christ  is  subject  to  the  law  of  expediency.  That 
which  is  expedient  is  to  be  chosen  for  two  reasons 
which  are  stated  in  the  Scriptures:  "All  things  are 
lawful  unto  me,  but  all  things  are  not  expedient:  all 
things  are  lawful  for  me,  but  I  will  not  be  brought 
under  the  power  of  any";  "All  things  are  lawful  for 
me,  but  all  things  are  not  expedient:  all  things  are 
lawful  for  me,  but  all  things  edify  not"  (1  Cor.  6 : 12 ; 
10:  23).  Thus  it  is  seen  that  the  law  of  expediency 
contemplates  the  danger  to  the  believer's  own  life  in 
the  matter  of  personal  habits  or  injury,  and  the 
responsibility  to  others  in  the  matter  of  edification. 
Much  that  he  is  free  to  do,  so  far  as  his  relation  to 
God  is  concerned,  he  is  not  free  to  do  when  contem- 
plating his  own  personal  good  and  the  good  of  others. 
His  manner  of  life  must  be  adapted  to  the  ignorance 
and  prejudice  of  men  to  whom  he  is  a  witness  for  his 
Lord  and  whom  he  would  seek  to  lead  to  Christ  or 
to  build  up  in  the  faith.  Any  sacrifice  of  personal 


348  Grace 

liberty  will  be  made  willingly  if  Christ  thereby  may 
be  made  known.  When  considering  the  law  of  expedi- 
ency, one  does  not  ask,  "What  harm  is  there  in  this, 
or  that?"  He  rather  seeks  to  know  what  is  the  good. 
In  all  your  precious  liberty,  "see  then  that  ye  walk 
circumspectly"  (Eph.  5:15). 

c.    The  law  of  love. 

Again  the  liberty  of  the  Christian  will  be  qualified 
by  the  love  which  he  has  for  others.  The  sympathy 
of  the  unsaved  must  be  gained  and  the  conscience  of 
the  weaker  brother  must  be  considered:  "But  meat 
commendeth  us  not  to  God :  for  neither,  if  we  eat,  are 
we  the  better ;  neither,  if  we  eat  not,  are  we  the  worse. 
But  take  heed  lest  by  any  means  this  liberty  of  yours 
become  a  stumbling  block  to  them  that  are  weak.  .  .  . 
Wherefore,  if  meat  make  my  brother  to  offend,  I  will 
eat  no  flesh  while  the  world  standeth,  lest  I  make  my 
brother  to  offend  "  ( 1  Cor.  8 : 8-13 ) .  Liberty  is  easily 
set  aside  by  those  who  would  be  "all  things  to  all  men 
that  by  all  means"  they  might  save  some.  The 
supreme  example  of  the  sacrifical  principle  of  grace 
was  manifested  by  Christ  in  His  death:  "He  saved 
others;  himself  he  cannot  save"  (Mk.  15:31). 

Third.     Christ  in  Ton  the  Hope  of  Glory. 

The  word  mystery  as  used  in  the  New  Testament 
refers  to  a  sacred  secret,  or  something  which  was  not 
revealed  in  the  ages  past,  but  is  revealed  in  the  present 
time.  The  body  of  truth  which  has  been  unfolded 
in  the  revelation  contained  in  the  mysteries  is  the 
present  plan  and  purpose  of  grace.  Among  these 


The  Life  under  Grace  349 

mysteries  are  two  which  are  primary  and  around  these 
the  other  mysteries  are  gathered. 

1.  Christ  the  manifestation  of  God  and  of  the 
CJwrch. 

That  portion  of  this  truth  which  directly  concerns 
and  involves  the  child  of  God  is  regarding  Christ  as 
the  Head  of  the  Church  which  is  His  body,  and  the 
believers  as  " members  in  particular."  This  figure 
speaks  of  identity.  Being  in  Christ,  the  member  of 
His  body  partakes  of  all  that  the  Head  has  ever  been, 
all  that  He  is  now,  and  all  that  He  will  ever  be.  So, 
also,  being  in  Christ,  the  member  of  His  body  par- 
takes of  all  that  Christ  has  ever  done,  of  all  that  He 
is  doing,  and  all  that  He  will  ever  do.  No  human 
mind  is  able  to  grasp  this  revelation.  Its  inexhaust- 
ible riches  will  occupy  the  heart  throughout  the  ages 
to  come. 

In  the  letter  to  the  Colossians  the  Apostle  Paul,  by 
the  Spirit,  unfolds  the  glory  of  Christ.  He  presents 
Christ  as  the  manifestation  of  God,  the  One  in  whom 
all  divine  purposes  center,  and  the  One  in  whom,  by 
the  mystery  of  unity,  the  saved  one  is  forever  com- 
plete. He  writes  of  the  "mystery  of  God"  which  is 
Christ  (2:2).  From  all  Scripture  it  may  be  discov- 
ered that  Christ  is  both  the  manifestation  of  God  and 
the  manifestation  of  the  saints  who  are  in  Him.  What 
God  is,  may  be  seen  in  Christ.  So,  likewise,  what  the 
saved  one  is  may  be  seen  in  Christ.  The  Son  of  God 
is  not  only  the  Mediator  between  God  and  man  and  the 
Saviour  of  the  lost;  He  is  the  manifestation  of  all 
that  God  is,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  manifestation 
of  all  that  the  believer  is  in  Him.  Christ  has  brought 


35O  Grace 

God  to  man,  and  He  has  brought  man  to  God.  Man 
now  sees  God  in  Christ,  and  God  now  sees  saved  men 
in  Christ. 

To  the  Christian,  Christ  is  not  only  a  position ;  He 
is  also  a  possession.  Through  the  marvels  of  divine 
grace,  in  the  reckoning  of  God,  whatever  Christ  is,  the 
Christian  is  in  Christ, — "Ye  in  me." 

2.     The  indwelling  Christ. 

Accordingly,  the  second  primary  sacred  secret  is 
that  of  the  indwelling  Christ, — "I  in  you." 

Turning  again  to  the  Colossian  Epistle,  we  read: 
' '  To  whom  God  would  make  known  what  is  the  riches 
of  the  glory  of  this  mystery  among  the  Gentiles ;  which 
is  Christ  in  you,  the  hope  of  glory"  (1:  27). 

Being  in  Christ,  is  a  position  which  can  have  no 
corresponding  experience.  This  is  not  true  of  the 
mystery  of  the  indwelling  Christ.  His  presence  may 
be  discerned  and  thus  become  an  assurance  and  guar- 
anty of  every  position  and  possession  in  Christ.  The 
believer's  heavenly  glories  will  be  unveiled  when  the 
Lord  returns  to  receive  His  own:  "For  ye  are  dead 
[ye  died],  and  your  life  is  hid  wtith  Christ  in  God. 
When  Christ,  who  is  our  life,  shall  appear,  then  shall 
ye  also  appear  with  him  in  glory"  (Col.  3 :  3,  4) .  Not 
only  is  Christ  Himself  the  "hope  of  glory,"  but, 
according  to  His  own  promise  (John  14:1-3),  that 
moment  in  which  He  will  appear  is  a  "blessed  hope." 
The  presence  of  "Christ  in  you"  is  the  imperishable 
"hope  of  glory." 

"Amen.     Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus." 

Both  for  want  of  space  and  that  the  thread  of  truth 
might  not  be  broken,  there  has  been  but  little  men- 


The  Life  under  Grace  351 

tion  in  this  section  of  the  truth  that  these  great  fea- 
tures and  properties  of  grace,  which  grow  out  of  the 
fact  that  Christ  is  now  the  sphere  of  the  believer '§ 
life,  are  not  found,  even  to  the  slightest  degree,  in 
either  the  law  of  Moses  or  the  kingdom  teachings. 
These  wonderful  accomplishments  in  grace  are  what 
differentiate  Christianity  from  Judaism.  One  is  of 
the  old  creation  with  its  earthly  purpose  and  promise ; 
the  other  is  of  the  new  creation  with  its  heavenly 
glories.  The  believer  could  not  be  under  law;  he  is 
"inlawed  to  Christ."  He  has  been  saved  out  of  the 
world  and  is  no  longer  a  partaker  of  its  past,  its 
present,  or  its  future.  Its  past  is  a  record  of  sin 
and  death ;  its  present  is  a  record  of  confusion  under 
the  permitted  rule  of  "the  god  of  this  world";  and 
the  future  will  be  a  record  of  judgment.  Law  is 
adapted  to  the  earth.  It  is  the  divine  method  of  deal- 
ing with  the  people  of  the  earth  whether  it  be  in  the 
age  which  is  past,  or  in  the  age  which  is  to  come. 

The  child  of  God  has  been  delivered  from  every 
aspect  of  the  law.  The  code  of  rules  contained  in  the 
law  has  been  superseded  by  the  injunctions  and  be- 
seechings  of  grace.  The  legal  necessity  of  becoming 
accepted  of  God  by  human  merit,  has  been  super- 
seded by  the  divine  accomplishment  through  graee 
wherein  the  Christian  is  already  accepted  and  safe 
in  Christ  forever.  And  possessing  the  presence  of 
God  through  the  indwelling  Spirit,  the  child  of  God  is 
saved  from  that  struggle  and  defeat  of  the  flesh  which 
characterized  the  law  and  because  of  which  defeat,  the 
law  became  a  curse  and  an  instrument  of  death. 

In  place  of  the  law  there  is  grace. 

In  place  of  condemnation  there  is  salvation. 


35 2  Grace 

In  place  of  death  there  is  life. 

In  place  of  ruin  in  Adam  there  is  resurrection  in 
Christ. 

In  place  of  bondage  there  is  liberty. 

In  place  of  defeat  there  is  victory. 

In  place  of  hell  there  is  heaven. 

"But  the  God  of  all  grace,  who  hath  called  us  unto 
his  eternal  glory  by  Christ  Jesus,  after  that  ye  have 
suffered  a  while,  make  you  perfect,  establish, 
strengthen,  settle  you.  To  him  be  glory  and  domin- 
ion for  ever  and  ever.  Amen." 


CHAPTER  V 

CONCLUSION  AND   APPEAL, 

GRACE,  more  than  any  other  single  word,  is  the 
expression  of  the  sum-total  of  all  that  enters  into 
Christianity.  The  various  divine  undertakings  in 
grace  have  been  stated  in  these  pages  and  it  has  been 
seen  that,  through  the  work  of  Christ  on  the  cross 
and  through  the  divine  purposes  and  decrees  for  this 
dispensation,  it  is  through  grace  that  hell-deserving 
sinners  are  saved,  it  is  through  grace  that  they  are 
preserved  and  are  to  be  presented  like  Christ  in  glory, 
and  it  is  "under  grace"  that  the  saved  one  now  lives. 
Being  under  grace,  he  is  "dead"  to  the  law,  and 
"delivered"  from  the  law,  whether  the  law  is  con- 
ceived of  as  being  a  rule  of  life,  an  obligation  to 
establish  merit  before  God,  or  a  reliance  upon  the 
energy  of  the  flesh. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Christian  is  in  no  wise  an 
outlaw.  Since  he  is  in  Christ  as  the  new  sphere  of 
both  his  standing  and  his  state,  he  is  now  inlawed  to 
Christ  and  is  therefore  under  the  governing  principles 
of  grace.  These  principles  provide  both  an  explicit 
and  complete  rule  of  conduct  which  is  superhuman, 
and  the  enabling  power  of  the  indwelling  Spirit  which 
is  supernatural.  This  manner  of  life  which  is  to  be 
lived  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  is  addressed  to,  and 
designed  for,  the  people  of  the  new  creation  in  Christ. 

353 


354  Grace 

These  teachings  of  grace  may  be  defined  as,  that  sup- 
erhuman rule  of  life  which  grows  out  of  acceptance 
with  God  and  which  is  first  wrought  in  the  heart  and 
then  achieved  by  the  enabling  power  of  the  Spirit. 
Grace  makes  all  conformity  to  the  will  of  God  to  be 
voluntary.  Christian  conduct  and  service  must  arise 
from  within  and  be  the  expression  of  a  free  choice. 
Only  such  action  is  acceptable  to  God  since  it  alone 
is  in  harmony  with  the  new  facts  of  relationship  un- 
der grace.  By  faith  in  Christ  the  believer  is  instantly 
made  complete  in  Him  and  the  possessor  of  every 
spiritual  blessing,  the  Spirit  is  given  to  indwell  him, 
and  he  is  "made  accepted"  in  the  Beloved.  The 
Christian's  life  must  be  keyed  to  these  new  facts,  and 
when  this  new  relationship  under  grace  is  really  com- 
prehended, it  is  seen  that  there  remains  no  ground  for 
legality  in  any  form  whatsoever. 

The  people  who  are  now  saved  by  grace  are  of  a 
new  order  of  beings.  They  are  a  new  creation.  The 
people  of  the  old  creation  are  ruined  by  sin;  the 
people  of  the  new  creation  are  renewed  by  the  Spirit. 
The  people  of  the  old  creation  are  wholly  lost;  the 
people  of  the  new  creation  are  perfectly  saved.  The 
people  of  the  old  creation  are  doomed  forever;  the 
people  of  the  new  creation  are  entirely  safe  in  Christ 
Jesus.  The  people  of  the  old  creation  have  always 
failed  to  realize  the  holy  will  of  God  in  their  daily 
lives;  the  people  of  the  new  creation  may  now  live 
well-pleasing  to  God  by  the  new  provisions  in  grace. 
They  may  know  unbroken  victory  even  on  the  plane 
of  the  high  ideals  and  standards  of  heaven. 

A  clear  understanding  of  the  doctrines  of  grace  will 
result  in  a  discrimination  between  the  transforming 


Conclusion  and  Appeal  355 

accomplishments  of  divine  power  through  grace  on 
the  one  hand,  and  the  corresponding  consistent  man- 
ner of  life  which  grows  out  of  the  salvation  on  the 
other  hand.  The  relative  importance  of  these  two 
aspects  of  grace  is  also  revealed. 

Failure  on  the  part  of  religious  leaders  to  recognize 
the  all  important,  supernatural  salvation  which  is  in 
Christ  for  all  who  believe,  is  largely  responsible  for 
the  present  tendency  to  treat  Christianity  as  though 
it  is  merely  an  ethical  system,  and  as  though  its 
standards  of  living  were  designed  of  God  to  be  applied 
to  a  Christ-rejecting  world.  The  unregenerate  can 
hardly  be  expected  to  see  more  in  Christianity  than  its 
ethical  teachings,  but  the  people  of  God  should  be  led 
on  to  the  full  knowledge  of  the  great  realities  in  grace. 

For  those  who  attempt  to  explain  the  truth  of  God 
to  others,  there  is  need  of  a  constant  consideration  of 
/  the  measureless  responsibility  which  accompanies  any 
presentation  of  the  Gospel.  No  amount  of  attention 
^  or  painstaking  study  will  be  too  great  for  the  adequate 
•^^preparation  of  a  Gospel  messenger.  In  the  light  of 
^  eternal  issues  it  would  be  Better  that  a  tongue  should 
be  stilled  in  death  rather  than  to  voice  inisstatements 
concerning  the  way  of  salvation  through  Christ. 
Dealing  with  the  destiny  of  men  is  a  responsibility  as 
limitless  as  eternity  to  whichthey  hasten.  The  law 
of  the  state  demands  that  a  medical  doctor  who  pro- 
poses  to  deal  with  the  temporal,  physical  ills  of  man 
shall  be  fully  educated  for  his  task,  subject  to  the 
closest  examination  by  the  government,  and  shall  be 
held  under  severe  legal  penalty  for  any  malpractice. 
All  this  is  most  reasonable  and  commendable ;  but  how 
much  greater  is  the  responsibility  of  the  person  who 


356  Grace 

* 

traffics  in  those  issues  which  determine  the  destiny  of 
the  soul!  The  state  could  not  assume  to  educate,  ex- 
amine, and,  in  turn,  punish  the  failure  of  those  who 
assume  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  dying  men.  No  human 
authority  is  capable  of  such  action  and  no  human 
sentence  would  be  a  proper  penalty  for  the  damage 
done  through  such  failure.  God  alone  must  be  the 
judge. 

Three  passages  when  taken  together  state  the  divine 
appeal  and  warning:  ''And  hath  given  to  us  the 
ministry  of  reconciliation";  therefore,  "Study  to 
shew  thyself  approved  unto  God,  a  workman  that 
needeth  not  to  be  ashamed,  rightly  dividing  the  word 
of  truth";  for,  "Though  we,  or  an  angel  from  heaven, 
preach  any  other  gospel  unto  you  than  that  which  we 
have  preached  unto  you,  let  him  be  accursed.  As  we 
said  before,  so  say  I  now  again,  If  any  man  preach 
any  other  gospel  unto  you  than  that  ye  have  received, 
let  him  be  accursed"  (2  Cor.  5 : 18 ;  2  Tim.  2 : 15 ;  Gal. 
1:8,  9).  The  order  and  force  of  this  truth  needs  no 
comment. 

It  is  deplorable  that  Christian  sentiment  is  not 
aroused  to  greater  appreciation  of  the  responsibility 
which  is  assumed  by  those  who  dare  to  preach,  or 
to  direct  the  steps  of  the  lost.  Good  intentions  and 
zeal  cannot  be  substituted  for  the  accurate  knowledge 
of  the  exact  facts  which  enter  into  the  divine  way  of 
salvation  by  grace  alone.  The  commission  is  given  to 
every  Christian  and  with  it  both  the  appeal  for  pains- 
taking study,  and  the  warning  as  to  the  terrible  con- 
sequences for  the  misstatement  of  the  Gospel. 

Pause,  reader,  and  consider!  Are  you  attempting 
to  explain  the  Gospel  to  others  without  the  exact 


Conclusion  and  Appeal  357 

knowledge  of  your  theme  ?  Would  you  choose  to  take 
a  remedy  which  had  been  compounded  by  a  blind 
druggist  ?  Are  you  persisting  in  error  because  of  in- 
dolence, carelessness,  or  mere  theological  prejudice? 
Failure  to  state  accurately  the  Gospel  of  saving  grace 
may  result  in  the  damnation  of  the  misguided,  and 
the  meriting,  at  least,  of  the  anathema  of  God  on  the 
part  of  the  blind  guide.  After  due  consideration,  no 
sane  person  will  treat  these  facts  lightly. 

Again,  the  daily  life  and  service  of  the  one  who  is 
alive  unto  God  must  be  recognized  as  assuming  infinite 
proportions  when  its  issues  are  seen.  Nothing  short 
of  that  manner  of  life  which  is  normal  under  grace 
glorifies  God.  Nothing  short  of  this  will  be  fruit- 
bearing  with  its  eternal  rewards.  Nothing  short  of 
this  will  result  in  that  personal  experience  of  over- 
flowing love,  joy,  and  peace,  without  which  the  empty 
heart  remains  as  a  living  witness  against  the  truth  of 
God.  The  importance  of  a  daily  life  lived  in  the  full 
measure  of  divine  blessing  provided  under  grace  is 
likewise  beyond  human  estimation. 

"Ye  therefore,  beloved,  seeing  ye  know  these  things 
before,  beware  lest  ye  also,  being  led  away  with  the 
error  of  the  wicked,  fall  from  your  own  steadfastness. 
But  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  To  him  be  glory  now  and 
for  ever.  Amen." 


THE  END 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS 

PACJB 

Abiding    in     Christ     337 

Abrahamic    Covenant    defined     187 

Abrahamic    faith      190,  217 

Access    into    fellowship    with    God    

Access    to    God     

Access   to    God    in    prayer    319 

Adam   and   human   death    

Ad  interim  aspect  of  the  law    216 

Advocacy    of    Christ    

Advocacy   of    Christ    and   safe-keeping    70 

Age    characteristics     123 

Age     divisions      123 

Age,    its   two  divine   purposes    41 

Appeal     353 

Appeal    to    unsaved    85 

Association    with    angels     324 

Association    with    Christ    

Association    with    God    the   Father    322 

Association  with  Satan  and  his  emissaries   324 

Association  with   the  Spirit    323 

Association    with    the    world    324 

Baptism   with   the    Spirit    74,  307,  329 

Beatitudes    analyzed     165 

Believing,    the   one   condition   of   salvation    16,  18,  50,  78 

Carnal    Christians    not   under   rules    346 

Character,     Christian      337 

Christ    and    the    Church    134 

Christ   and  the   Sabbath    254 

Christ    as    King    133 

Christ's  body,  its  unity   304 

Christ   indwelling    350 

Christ  in  two  lines  of  prophecy    136 

Christ  in  you  the  hope  of  glory    348 

Christ's    relation    to   three    dispensations    91 

Christ,    the  believer's  sphere   in   grace    301 

Christ,  the  manifestation  of  God  and  the  Church 349 

Christ  the  Mediator    315 

Christ  the  pattern    212 

Christ  the  sphere  of  the  believer's  association    322 

Christ  the  sphere   of  the  believer's  position    307 

Christ   the   sphere  of  the   believer's  safe-keeping    321 

Christian  is  free  from  Sabbath  law 258 

Christian    husbands    and    wives     331 

Christian    masters    and   servants    331 

Christian    parents    and    children    ... 331 

Christian's  obligation  to  weak  brother 333 

Christian's    position 303,  308 

Christian's    position,    certain    facts    310 

Christian's  position  demands  a  manner  of  life   80 

Christian's  relation  to  authority   in   the   Church    330 

Christian's  relation  to  the  body  of  Christ   327 

Christian's    relation    to    erring    brother 332 

Christian's   relation   to  human    governmente    325 

Christian's   relation   to  other   Christians    328 

Christian's   relation   to  the   unsaved    327 

SM 


360 


Index 


Christian's   relation  to   world   system    325 

Christian    represents    divine    ideal     35 

"Christian    Sabbath"    an    error     245 

Christian    service     21* 

Christian   service   actuated  by  love    7 

Christian  to  live  under   grace    88 

Christian    two-fold    danger    87 

Christianity   and    Judaism    contrasted    239,  351 

Christianity    is    Christ     241 

Church    discipline     332 

Church,    its   first   heresy    269 

Conclusion    353 

Condemnation   equal   upon   all    9,  40 

Condemnation    forever    past    20,  59 

Condemnation    removed    for    safe-keeping    59 

Conduct,     Christian      342 

Confession    of   sin    17,   18 

Contrasts   between   law   and    grace    143 

Contrasts  between  Moses'  law  and  kingdom  law    157 

Contrasts    vital     351 

Covenant  of   works   and   faith   contrasted    115,  188 

Covenant  of  works,   common  to  Moses   and  Kingdom    157 

Covenant   of    works    done    away    235 

Cross  not  in  jeopardy  in  kingdom  offer   137 

Death   of   Christ   and   safe-keeping    69 

Death   of   Christ  for   sin    4,   13,  60,  69 

Decalogue    and    grace    contrasted    154 

Dispensations 122 

Dipsensational     testings     135 

Does    sin    unsave    the    Christian    61 

Doubtful   passages    and    safe-keeping    _. 77 

Enablement  differs  in   three   systems    94 

Enablement    provided    under    grace    200,  337 

Enablement   provided    in    kingdom    196 

Enablement   provided    in    Mosaic    system    195,  238 

Enemy,    the    Christian's     315 

Epistles    present    faith-principle     208 

Eradication 339 

Error   concerning    sabbath     297 

Error  of   co-mingling   kingdom    and   grace   teachings    231 

Expediency 347 

Experience   testifies   to   safe-keeping    62 

Externalism    rebuked     173 

False  prophets    in    kingdom    177 

Father's   care   in  the  kingdom    176 

Flesh   not  controlled  by  rules    287 

Flesh,    its    meaning    339 

Forgiveness,    four   divine   conditions    19 

Forgiveness   perfect   through   Christ    14 

Forgiveness  of   unsaved   not   gracious    12 

Gentiles   have   not   the   law    120 

Gentiles,    two    assumptions   of   the   law    220 

Gifts,    their    ministry     342 

Gospels    described     130 

Gospel,  its  hindrances    192 

Government,    three    systems    124 

Grace  abandoned  at  'Sinai   115 

Grace   and  the  sins  of   the   saved    16 

Grace   and    the   sins   of   the   unsaved 12 

Grace   cannot    incur   a   debt 6 

Grace   cannot   pay   a   debt 8 

Grace    cannot    recognize    guilt 37,  59 


Index  361 


Grace    cannot    recognize    merit     39,  63 

Grace   cannot   recognize   obligation    38,  62 

Grace    continued    for    safe-keeping    68 

Grace    heaven's    manifestation     45 

Grace  inwrought  and   imparted 214 

Grace    is    sovereign 51 

Grace  likened  to   a   second  husband 227 

Grace    manifested    in    salvation     28 

Grace    manifested    through    permitted    sin    33 

Grace,    meaning   of    the   word    3 

Grace    never    the    over-payment    of    debt    10 

Grace   not   lessened   because    of    demerit    5 

Grace    not    withheld    because    of    demerit    4 

Grace  of   God   never   less   or   more    5,  11 

Grace    precedes    all    human    works    10 

Grace,    principle    of    action     191 

Grace   provides    a   particular   rule    of  life    83 

Grace    provides    the    Spirit's    indwelling     204,  237 

Grace    saving    and    keeping    contrasted    56 

Grace,    Scripture    terms    used    45 

Grace     teachings     80,   100,   147,   185,   343 

Grace   teachings   opposed   to   law    106 

Grace    teachings    superhuman     200,  207 

Grace  teachings   surpass   Moses  or  the  kingdom    201,  351 

Grace    teachings,    two    revelations     209 

Grace  the  sphere  of  liberty      288,  345 

Grace,    three    divine    motives    28 

Grace,    three    major    divisions    22 

Grace,    three    opposing    principles     ._ s 87 

Grace,    two    ministries     83 

Gracious  work   of  God  for   man    46 

Highways    of    truth     143 

Holy    days    abolished     261 

"Hope    of   glory"    348 

Human    responsibility   in   salvation    50 

Husbands    and    wives     331 

"I    in    you"     335 

"In     Christ"      301 

Individual    aspect    of    salvation    148 

Indwelling  of  divine   Persons    336,  350 

Indwelling  of  the  Spirit  and  safe  keeping    73 

Inheritance,     Christian     314 

Intercession    of    Christ    and    safe-keeping    71 

Israel's    nation.nl    hope     132 

John's    Gospel    defined     130 

John    preached   the    kingdom    163 

John's   record    of   John    the   Baptist    162 

Judaism    and    Christianity    contrasted    239,  351 

Judaism    based   on   the    law    242 

Judaism    done    away    238 

Judgment  of  others   in   kingdom    177 

King    of    Israel    rejected    133 

Kingdom,    and    outward    show     141 

Kingdom,    determining  statements    178 

Kingdom,    its   characterizing    phrase    140 

Kingdom  law   interpreted   by   Christ    171 

Kingdom    of   heaven,    a   new   message    131 

Kintrdom   of  heaven  denned    132 

Kingdom    offer    real     134 

Kingdom    rejected    and    delayed    142,  180 

Kingdom    riches    176 

Kingdom    rule,    two   characteristics    125 

Kingdom    teachings    122,  125,  149 


362 


Index 


Kingdom    teachings    and    grace    teachings    contrasted    161 

1C3,    184,   231,   351 

Kingdom    teachings    complete     142,  234 

Kingdom   teachings    purely    legal    183 

Kingdom,   the  aspects  of  rule    105,   140 

Kingdom    transformation     150 

"Kingdom  within   you"    141 

Law,   a  complete  system    268 

Law,   a  principle  in  operation    109 

Law  and  grace  contrasted    81,  244 

Law,    any   rule   of   conduct    108 

Law,  as  flesh-dependence  done  away    106,  237 

Law   began    its   rule  at   Sinai    114 

Law   condemns    192 

Law    defined    102 

Law    done    away     215,  225,  256 

Law   excluded   from    Apostolic   teaching    96 

Law    excluded    from    grace    teaching    90,  232 

Law   excluded  from  grace  teaching  of   Christ    91 

Law    from    Adam   to    Moses    110 

Law  given  only  to  Israel    219 

Law,    important    grace    passages     223 

Law,    Israel's    governing    system     104 

Law,     its     application      119 

Law,    its   righteous    character    112 

Law  likened   to   a   first   husband    227 

Law    may    be    self-imposed     109,  120 

Law    not    unto    justification    113 

Law    of    expediency    247 

Law    of    liberty      344 

Law    of    love     348 

Law  of  Moses  and  of  the  kingdom  different    160 

Law   of   Moses   and   of  the   kingdom   similar    159 

Law   passing,    a    great   gain    229 

Law   principles  restated    in    grace    155,  230,  245 

Law    proposed,    not    imposed     115 

Law  related  to  cause   and  effect    109 

Law   sanctity    upheld   through    faith    242 

Law     self-imposed      218,  223 

Law,   the   time   of   its   reign    110 

Law,   the  whole   will   of   God    106 

Law,    two    Gentile    assumptions     220 

Law    written    on    stones    228 

Liberty,    what   it   is    345 

Life   as  presented   in   the    Gospels    92 

Life     imparted     313,  336 

Life    under    grace     80,  352 

Lord's    day,    a    day    for    activity     290 

Lord's  day,   a   day  for  persona)   delight    290 

Lord's   day   and   the   new   creation    274,  276 

Lord's    day    and    the    resurrection    273,  289 

Lord's    day    began    with    the    resurrection     277 

Lord's    day,    Biblical    testimony    concerning     265 

Lord's    day    and    the    children    286 

Lord's   day  belongs  to  a  particular  people    283 

Lord's   day    governed   by   expediency    and   love    291 

Lord's   day   has  been  blessed  of   God    •. 281 

Lord's    day    indicated    by    events    272 

Lord's  day   in   harmony   with   grace    285 

Lord's    day    in    prophecy    270 

Lord's    day,    its    Biblical    observation     282,  288,  289 

Lord's  day  may  be  extended   to   all   days    292 

Lord's    day   not   a    national    day 285 

Lord's   day    not   for   the   unregenerate    284 

Lord's    day    not    subject    to    rules     286,  289 

Lord's    day,    reason    for    observance     266 


Index  363 


Lord's  day,  the  first  sabbath  in  the  new  order    295 

Lord's   day,    three  major   aspects    322 

Love   as    required    in    three    systems    201 

Love  of  God  in  keeping  His   own    67 

Love,    the    heart    of    the    Evangel    202 

Luke's    Gospel    denned    129 

Man    innocent   not   God's   highest  ideal    35 

Mark's    Gospel    defined     129 

Masters    and    servants     331 

Matthew's    Gospel    denned    129 

Measure    of    enablement 196 

Measure   of  enablement   under   grace    200 

Measure   of   enablement   under   Mosaic   system    195 

Middle    ground    impossible     43,  84 

Millennial     Sabbath      297 

Mosaic    system    abolished     216,  266 

Mosaic    teaching    146 

Mosaic    teachings    and    grace   teachings    contrasted    152 

Mosaic    teachings    purely    legal     183 

Motive  for  conduct  under  grace    236 

Motive   for   conduct  under   law    236 

"My    commandments"     92,  139 

New    Covenant    and    safe-keeping    76 

New    day    appointed    under    grace    269 

New    Testament    kingdom   teaching    128 

One   issue   to   unsaved   under  grace    84 

Order    varies    between    law    and    grace    182 

Panoply   of    Christian    321 

Parents    and    children    331 

Paul,  his   law  and  grace  teachings    96 

Paul,    his    personal   experience   under    grace    97 

Paul,    inlawed   to   Christ    100 

Power   of  God  in  keeping  His  own    66 

Prayer   in    the    kingdom    174 

Prayer    for    Christian's    safe-keeping     68 

Prayer,    the    Lord's     174 

Preaching    another   Gospel    86 

Preaching    the    Gospel    18,  54,   85,  356 

Prophecy,    two   lines    136 

Regeneration    and    safe-keeping     72 

Repentance   and   faith    17 

Restoration   does  not  promote  carelessness    21 

Restoration  of  believer  by  confession    17 

Resurrection    and     safe  keeping     70 

Resurrection    and    the    Lord's   day    273 

Revelation   as   to  safe-keeping    61 

Rewards     10,  187 

Rule  of  life  for  the  Christian    100 

Rules    related    to    sin-nature    341 

Sabbath   a   part   of  the  law    253 

Sabbath,    a   test   question    244 

Sabbath,  a  type  of  Christian's  rest 260,  284 

Sabbath  and  the  Book  of  Job    249 

Sabbath,     Biblical    testimony     247 

Sabbath,    certain    errors 297 

Sabbath    in    prophecy     262 

Sabbath  in  the  millennium    297 

Sabbath   never  imposed   on   Gentiles    255 

Sabbuth    not    perpetuated    by    Christ    255 

Sabbath    observance    impossible    267 

Sabbath,   from  Adam  to   Moses    247 


364 


Index 


Sabbath,    from   Moses   to    Christ    250 

Sabbath,    represented   by    the    Acts    257 

Sabbath,   represented   by   the   Epistles    257 

Sabbath    question,    reason    for    discussion     246 

Sabbath     reestablished      263 

Sabbath,    the    exact    day     251,  264 

Sabbath,   the  period  represented  by  the  Gospels    254 

Sabbath    to    cease     262 

Safe-keeping    in    grace    55,  321 

Safe-keeping   indicated   in    divine   provisions    66 

Safe-keeping    implied     84 

Salvation   a   gift    6 

Salvation,    a    human    benefit    27 

Salvation   a   manifestation   of   grace    28 

Salvation    and    works    7,  23,  186 

Salvation    by    grace     36,   78,   186,  236 

Salvation,    supreme    divine    purpose    29 

Salvation    through    believing    alone     16 

Salvation,   two  classes   of   divine   undertakings    15 

Salvation,  what  it  is  and  is  not    51 

Scripture    co-mingles    truth     128 

Scripture  on  passing  of  the  law   255 

Scripture   on   the   kingdom    126 

Scripture    on   two  grace   teachings    10 

Sealing   with   the    Spirit    75 

Sermon  on  the   Mount,    its   setting    138 

Seven    facts    about    grace    4 

Similitudes   of   righteous   in   the   kingdom    170 

Sin-nature,     its    control     339 

Sin    of    Adam     110 

Sin    permitted   for   grace    revelation    33 

Sovereignty  of  God   and  human   will    52 

Sovereignty    of    grace     51 

Spirit's    control    of    sin-nature    341 

Spirit    indwelling,     age    characterization     205,  207 

Spirit   indwelling   or    filling    205 

Spirit    manifests    Christ    212,  313 

Spirit's    ministry   in    the   kingdom    198,  206 

Spirit    received    by    faith    104 

Standing    in    Christ     312 

Supernatural   power   provided   under   grace    203,  343 

Teachings  of  the  Apostle   Paul    96 

Teachings    of   Christ,   not   all   binding   now    179 

Teachings    of    grace     80,   147,   185,  199 

Teachings   of  grace  never  separated    210 

Teachings    of   grace,    two    revelations    209 

Teachings    of    the    kingdom     149 

Teachings   of   the   law   of    Moses    102,  146 

Ten   commandments   defined    103 

The    convicting    work    47 

The   delivering  work    48 

The    finished    work     47 

The    keeping    work    47 

The     presenting    work     49 

The    saving    work    47 

The  work   of   God   in   Christian   growth    48 

The  testimony  of   early  fathers  to  Lord's  day    278 

Three    classes    of   people    151 

Three    rules    for    conduct    181 

Throne   of   law   or    grace    194 

Tithing      246 

Title   deed    320 

Two  aspects  of  grace  teachings    212 

Two  covenants   of  Gal.   4 :  21-31    188 

Two   days    typical   of    two   principles    245 

Two    laws    governing    Christian   relationship    385 


Index  365 


Two   Lord's   day    errors    266 

Two   systems   cannot   co-exist    232 

Two  systems  need  not  be  combined    233 

Under    sin    9,  40 

Union    with   Christ    304,   306 

Universal    condemnation     9,  40 

Unregenerate   not   under   moral    appeal    43,   84 

Unsaved  without  access  to  God      316 

Upper-room    discourse    described     94 

"Whosoever"    of    Mt.    7 : 24    180 

Words,    key     126 

Word   of   God    320 

Works   as   related    to    grace    7,   23,   45,   186,  303 

Works    as   test   of    faith    26 

Works    covenant    cast    out     193,  235 

Works    indicative   of    attitude   toward   grace    26 

Works    principle    of   the    law    106,   190,  208 

Works   required   under   the   law    25,  186 

World  not  under   any  teaching    153 

"Ye    in    me"     306 

Yoke,  descriptive  of  the  law    95 


INDEX  OF  SCRIPTURE 
TEXTS 


GENESIS 
2:1-3 
12 :  1-4 
13:  14-17 
15 :  1-7 
17:  1-8 


PAGB 
248 
76 
76 
76 
76 


EXODUS 

12:2,6     ............  252 

16:22-26       ..........  252 

19:       ...............  122 

19:38       ............  115 

19:  8      ..............  159 

19:  18-21       ..........  116 

20:  1-17       ...........  105 

20:  12      .............  159 

21:  1  to  24:  11    ......  105 

24:  12  to  31:  18    .....  105 

31:  16      .............  263 

31:  12-17       ...    250,251,252 

35:  3      ..............  252 


16:1-34      ............  274 

18:5      ..............  234 

23:  15      .............  252 

23:15,16      ..........  251 

23:37,38      ..........  251 

25:4     ..............  252 

NUMBBBS 

28:  9,  10      ...........  251 

DETTF.ROXOMY 

4:8      ...............  120 

5:1     ...............  219 

5:1-3      ..........    114^120 

9:  11      ..............  120 

16:  9      ..............  252 

28:  1-14       ...........  159 

28:1-68       ...........  183 

28:15-68       ..........  159 

30:  5-8       ............  197 

30:8     ..............  263 

II   SAMUEL 
7:16     ---- 


136 

I  CHRONICLES 

23:  31      259 

II  CHRONICLES 

2:4     259 

31:3      259 


36:21      252 

NEHEMIAH 

9:13,14      250 

10 :  31     252 

13:15-21       252 


JOB 

9:  32.  33 


PSALMS 

18  :  24-26  .  . 
22  :  1-21  .  .  . 

24:3,4     

37:3,29      ... 

45 :  4     

51:  11     

55:22     

72 :  1-4      

72 :  1-20 
72  :  3,  7 

76 :  9      

85:  10,  11,  13 
89:35-37  .. 

103:13      

103:17,18  . 
118:22-24  . 
119:105  ... 


128 


PBOVERBS 
2:  21     . 


367 


ISAIAH 

2:1-4       125, 

4:2-5      

8:  6,  7      128, 

11:1-5       125, 

11:  4       

11:4,5      

11: 10      

14:  1-8      

29 : 19     

33:1518       

35:  1-10      

35: 10     

42  :  1      

42 :  6      

49:  6      

51 :  3     

51:  11     

52 :  1-15       

52:  5     

53  :  1-12       

56:  7      


315 


168 
136 
168 
155 
167 
205 
177 
167 
136 
169 
167 
167 
136 
323 
168 
270 
320 


155 


127 
128 
136 
127 
167 
167 
197 
128 
167 
168 
128 
166 
75 
171 
171 
166 
166 
128 
224 
136 
172 


368 


Index 


57:  15     

166 

58:  8     

171 

59:  20   to   60:22 

128 

60:  3,  20      

71 

60:  7      

172 

62  :  1,  2      

167 

62:  1-12       

128 

66:  1-24       

128 

66:  13      

166 

66:  23      

263,297 

JEREMIAH 

23:3-8      

127 

31:31-34      

198 

31:31-40       

126 

31:33-37       

197 

31:  36,  37      

128 

33:1-26       

128 

EZEKIEL 

39:  25     168 

43:13-27       172 

45:17      260 

46:  1      263 

DANIEL 

2:  31-45      


150 


260,  262 
. ..  197 
. ..  128 


HO  SB  A 

2:  11  . 
2:  14-23 
3:  4,  5 


JOEL 

2:  28-32       198,  206 

3:17-21       128 

AMOS 

9,:  11-15     128 

ZEPHANIAH 

2:3     167 

3:  14-20     128,  197 

ZEOHARIAH 

1:17     166 

14:16-21       128 

14:  20      172 

MATTHEW 

1    to    12    138 

1:1     129 

3:1,2     131 

3:1-3      138 

4:  17      131,  138 

5  to  7     161,  164 

5:1-12       165 

5:1  to  7:  29    138 

S :  5,  7,  20       184 

5:12       164 

5:13-16       170 

5:16     171 

5:17,18      239 

5:17-28       160 

5:17-48      171 


5:  20      178 

5  :  20-22,  29,  30      172 

5:  25,  26       172 

5:29,30      179 

5:  31-48       160 

5:38-48       172 

5:  42      234 

5:43-46       202 

6:1-7,16-18     173 

6:1-18,25-34      160 

6:  8-17      174 

6:  14,  15      184 

6:  19-24      176 

6:  20      164 

6:  25-34     176 

6:  33      164 

7:1,2,21-24      184 

7:1-6       177 

7:  7-11       174,  176 

7:  12      139,  160,  178 

7:  13,  14      179 

7:  21-29      173 

7:  23      164 

7:  24     140,  180,  185 

10 :  5,  6      131 

10:  5-7      91,  181.  138 

10:  32      16 

11:27      323 

11:  30      95 

13 :  1-52      141 

13 :  44      126 

15:  24      91 

18:  8,  9      179 

19:  16-26       26 

19:  17     92 

20 :  15       109 

22:34-40       26 

24:  13      48,  180 

24:  20      180,  263 

28:  1          295 

28:  18      95 

28:  20      93, 140 

MARK 

10:17-30       26 

12:28-34      26 

12 :  29-30       120 

15:  42      252 

16:  2,  9      295 

16:9-20       17 

16:  16      17,42 

LUKE 

31-33       131 

25      131 

7-14       162 

6      325 

10:9     141 

10:  25-28      159,  179 

10:  28      26 

11:13      204 

13:  24      179 

16:  16      162,  163 

17:20,21      141 

18:12      295 

18:8-30      26 


Index 


369 


20:22      109 

21:24     325 

23:31,32      72 

24:  1     295 

24:  27      144 

24:39      275 

JOHN 

1   to   12     130 

1:  11     130 

1:  12      65,236,  309 

1 :  13      78 

1:16      46 

1:  16,  17      225,256 

1:  29      13,  41,  162 

3:3      164 

3:3-6       73 

3:6      309 

3:  16     27,65 

3:18      ...    5,9,  15,41.42,61 

3:  31     130 

3  :  36      65,  70 

5  :  24     ...    15,  42,  60,  65,  77, 
140,  173,  177, 185 

6:  27      75 

6:  29      92 

6:  37     65,  77 

6 :  44     52 

7:  22      248 

7:87-89       .    78,204,210,213 

10:  10      313 

10:  10, 28      70 

10:28       89,48,  77,  173 

313 

10:  29     66,309 

12:31     94 

13  to  16     130,  305 

13   to   17     93 

13:  34     95,  140,201 

13:34,35      328 

14:1-8       350 

14:  14     319 

14:15,21      93 

14:  16     73,205 

14:  20      306.  309 

14:  27      212 

14:29      94 

15:  5      305 

15:  10     93,  337 

15:  12      95,201 

15:  21      169 

15:25      94,219,229 

16:711       47 

J6:  9       42 

16:  11      94 

16:1215       314 

16:23,24      319 

16:24     176 

17:3      323 

17:9-12,15,20       68 

17:  11      804 

17:11,12,20       309 

17:  13     213 

17:20-23       304 

17:23      308 

17:24      44 


18:  31     121,219 

19:  11     130 

20:  1,  19      295 

20:  17      275 

20:  31      130 

ACTS 

1:3     95 

1:6     131 

1:8      210 

2:  16-22       206 

2:  23      35,  133 

4:  10,  11      270 

4:  12      218 

5 :  32      204 

7:38      241 

8:12-17       204 

13:14      295 

14:15      154 

15:  10       95,299 

15:  11      36 

15:17      152 

15:  19-21       96 

15:28,29      90 

16:  13      295 

18:14,15      219 

19:  1-7       204 

20:  6,  7      275 

20:  32      314 

21:18-26       96 

21:25      90 

23 :  29       219 

25:  8      219 

26:18      314 

ROMANS 

1:  16      65,185 

1:  16,  17      96 

2:1-16     "26 

2:  12      220 

2:  13      224 

2:  14      109,  121,  129 

2:  14,  15      221,  263 

2:23      224 

2:24,25      224 

2:29      207 

3:9      9 

8:  19      9,  41,234 

3:  20      221,  224 

3:  21      89 

8:21    to  5:  11     IAI 

3 :  22      74 

8:22,26     185 

3:  24     10,  13,308 

3:26      16.65 

3:  31      225,243 

4:3,5,24,25      188 

4:4      8 

4:4,5      36 

4:5 185,  (294 

*:"-24       217 

4 :  14      224 

4:  16      193,224 

4:21      67 

5:1     26 

5:2       55,818 


5:5  

.  T3,  202,  204,  313 

14:5   

284 

5:  8,  9 

73 

14:15-23   

335 

5:8-11  . 

67 

14:17-19   

88 

5:  12-14 

110k  250 

15  :  8,  9  

91,  128 

5:17  ... 

46 

15  :  15   

214 

5:  18   ... 

Ill 

16:17,18  

333 

5:  29 

46 

8:1-10   . 

259 

I  CORINTHIANS 

6:1  to  8  : 

4  Ill 

1:4  

214 

6:6  

340 

1:  30   

74,  308 

6  :  13 

346 

2:  9,  10  

314 

6:  14 

210,  226,  256,  342 

2:  12   

73,204 

6:  23 

39,  313 

3:  9-15   

10 

7:1-6   .. 

256 

3:  10   

214 

7:2-6   .. 

207 

3:  11   

309 

7:4  

304 

3:21-23   

314 

7:4-6 

309 

4:6  

97 

7:  6   

207 

5:  1,  2,  13   

205 

7:7  

267,298 

6:1-8   

205 

7  :  7-14  . 

104,  256 

6:  9,  10   

154 

7:8   

112 

6:  12   

347 

7:  10-11 

113 

6:  19  ....  73, 

204,309,  335 

7:  12 

242 

8:  8-13   

348 

7:  12-13 

112 

8:9  

108 

7  :  15  to  8 

:  13  225 

9:18-27   

10 

7:16  ... 

225 

9:19-21   

98 

7:21  ... 

109 

9:  20   

224 

7:  22 

108 

9:21   

212 

7:22,25 

225 

10:1-11   

144 

8:  1 

15,42,  61,  173,  308 

10:  32  

347 

8:2   

109 

10:  29  

108 

8  :  2,  3 

107 

10:  31  

296 

8:3   

113,261 

10:  32   

98 

8:  3,  4 

224 

11:  1   

97 

8:4   

107,  210 

11:27-32   

177 

8:7  

225 

11:31,32  

15,20 

8:9   

309,  336 

11:  32   

42 

8:  17  ... 

314 

12:4-7   

211 

8:  21  ..  . 

108 

12:  7   

.  .  .  B13,  214 

8:  29,  30 

36 

12  :  12   

305 

8:  30 

309 

12:  13   ...  74, 

259,  306,  309 

8:  31  ... 

67 

12  :  26   

328 

8:  32 

314 

14:  37   

95 

8:  34  .  .  . 

71 

15:  3   

96 

8:  38,  39 

66 

15:  10   

214 

9  :  1-3   .  . 

203 

15  :  24-28   

122 

9:4   

219 

15:  56   

108 

9:4,5   . 

120 

15:  58   

297 

10:  4 

65,  89,  185 

16:  2   

275 

10:5   ... 

181,234 

10:  9 

16 

II  CORINTHIANS 

10:10   .. 

17 

1:  12   

214 

11:  6 

36 

1:  22  

75 

11:17  .. 

241 

3:  1-18   

256 

11:  26,  27 

126,  197 

3:6   

207 

11:25  .. 

30 

3  :  7-13   

228 

11:  32 

9,  40 

3:  7-14   

256 

12  :  1 

185 

3:9   

112 

12:  2 

213 

3:15,16   

220 

12:3-6   . 

214 

8:  17   

108 

12:  9-10 

328 

3:  18   

48 

12:  17-21 

172 

4:  3,  4  

47,  315 

13  :  1-7   . 

326 

4:6   

168 

13:14  .. 

90 

4:  15   

46,214 

14:1-4   . 

334 

4:  18  

310 

14:4  ... 

66 

5:  10   

10 

Index 


371 


5:14-16  327 

5 :  14,  19   41 

5:  18  356 

6:  19  42,  308.  316 

5:  19,  20   47 

5:  21   74,  309 

6:1-3   214 

8:1,6.7,9   214 

9:8,14  214 

9:  14  46 

10:  3-5   211 

10:  5   200 

11:13-15   178 

12:  9   214 

GALATIANB 

1:8  285 

1:  8,  9  13,  78.  86,  356 

1:11   96 

1:11.12   97 

2:4  108 

2 :  4,  5  90 

2:9  214 

3:2   204 

3:3   346 

3:9-12   188 

3:  10  113 

3:  10,  12   234 

3:  10,  13 224 

3:11  224 

3:11.24  113 

3:  13   188,283 

3 :  14  188 

3:  16   118 

3:  19  ...  111.  118,  217,  240 

3:  19-25   225,256 

3:  20   316 

3:  22   9,40,218 

3 : 22-25   118 

3:  23   223,  342 

8:24  188 

3:25   188 

3:  26  169 

3:  27   259 

4:9  113 

4:  9.  10  261 

4:  21   , 224 

4:21-31   190 

5:1   90,95,344 

5:  1-13   108 

5:3   234 

5 :  5,  6   89 

5:  16   48,  200,  211 

f:  17   340 

5:  18   222,229,  342 

5 :  22   202 

5:  22,  23   ...  170,212,  304 
338 

5 :  24  840 

6:1  832 

6:2  95,  335 

6:  10  330 

« :  14  340 

6:14-16   89 

6:16  88 


EPHESIANS 
1:  2-23 
1:3 
1:6 

1:7  ... 
1:  9   , 


. . .   803 
.  . .   310 
308,  309 
13 
309 


1:  13   75,  204 

1:14   314 

1:  18   309,  312,321 

2:2   9,315 

2:  4,  5   167 

2:  4,  8   309 

2:6   309 

2:7  28 

2:  8,  9  45 

2:  8-10   9.36 

2:  10  8,  23,  88 

2:  11,  12   120 

2:  11-13   98 

2:  12   314 

2:  13   309.  311 

2:  15   229,  256 

2:  18  to  3:  10  240 

2:  19   309 

3:  1-10   97 

3:  1-11   96 

3:2-8   214 

3:6   240 

3:  8-11   34 

3:9-11   30 

3:  15   309 

3:19   313 

3:  20  67 

4:1  186,  200 

4:  1-3   329 

4:6   335 

4:  7   214 

4:7,29   214 

4:  11   240 

4:  16   31 

4:  24  166 

4:  28   154 

4:  30   75,200,  309 

4:  31,  32   329 

4:  32   174.  175 

5:2   200,  328 

5:3   154 

5:8   170,  309 

5:  11   325 

5:  15   348 

5:  20  200.297 

5:  21  330 

5:  21-33   331 

5:  22,  25  331 

6:1   154 

6:  1.4   83 

6:5-9   332 

6:  10,  11   211 

6:  10-12   315 

6:  11   166 

6:  12   324 

6:13-17   822 

6:  18   330 


PHILIPPIANS 

1:6   

1:7  .... 


65 

214 


372 


Index 


9-11 

21 

29 

3,4 

5      . 

6-11 

8 


89 

212 

169 

330 

212 

32 

166 

13      52.  212,  213,  345 

4,  5      98 

8,  9      74 

16      88 

17     97 

20      309 

21      67 

4      213 

6     177 


COLOSSIANS 

1:9      313 

1:12      309,314 

1:  13      309,  315 

1:  14     308 

1:16,17      31 

1:21.22      31 

1:  27     335,  350 

2:2      349 

2:6      212 

2:  10     258.  310 

2:  11      259.  276,  309 

2 :  12      259 

2:  13      13,308 

2:  14     229.256,259 

2:  15      340 

2:16,17     258 

3:1      186 

3:2      166 

3:3.4      350 

3:9      154 

3:  11     98 

3:  12      166 

3:  12.  13      328 

8:13      174 

3:  15     213,  309 

3:  16      214 

3:  18,  19      331 

3:  20, 21      331 

3:  22      332 

4:  5,  6      325 

4:6      214 


I  THBSSALONIANS 

1:1     

1:4     

1:6     

4:2     

4:  6,  9     

4:  8     

4:  15     

5:5     

5:  11 


.      309 
.      308 
97 
95 

.      329 
.      204 
96 

.      171 
.      329 

5:12.13     331 

5:  14     332 

5:  16     297 

5:17     296 

5:  19     200 

6:34     808 


II  THESSALONIANS 

1:12     

2:7      

2:  16      

3:6,11-15       

3:7-9       


I  TIMOTHY 
1:1  ... 
1:8,9  . 
1:17  .. 
2:5 

2:6     ... 
6:  16 


224 

31 

309 

332 

97 


96 

108 

310 

317 

47 

310 

6:  17     314 


II  TIMOTHY 
1:  12 

2:1     

2:5      

2:  12 
2:  15 
3:2 


67 

214 

109 

169 

356 

331 

3:  12     165 

3:  16      82,  320 

4:2      296 

TITUS 

1:3      95 

2:11-14       83 

2:  14     8.  25 

3:4-6       73 

3:5      168,  178 

3:8     8. 25 

HEBREWS 

1:2     145 

1:  2,  3      32 

1:14     324 

2:  3.  4     95 

2:9      168 

2:  18     67 

4:  1-13      260 

4:  1-16       2S4 

4:  3      294 

4:4      260 

4:  8      260 

4:  9,  10      294 

4:  16      214 

7:  19      114 

7:23-25       72 

7:  25       ....    67,  69,  309,  311 

8:  7-12       126,  197 

8:8-12      198 

9:  15      314 

9:16-28       274 

9:24 71 

10:1      114 

10:  14     308 

10:19,20     176 

10:19-22       319 

11:  27     810 

12:3-15       20 

12:15      214 

12:18-21       117 

13:1      828 

13:  5     809 


Index 


373 


13:  7  

330 

1:9  

174.  175 

13:  8   

811 

2:1  

71 

13:  10  

171 

2  :  1,  2  

47 

13:17  

331 

2:2  

..  59.808.816 

2:3   

93 

JAMBS 

2:7  

95 

1:  17  

130 

2:15-17   ... 

325 

1  :  -Jo  

108 

3:  3  

309 

2:8  

104 

3:4  

108 

2  :  10   

.  .  181,224 

3:9  

73 

2:  12   

,  108 

3:  11  

95 

2  :  14-26   

26 

3  :  14  

828 

3:15.17  

130 

3:  15  

154 

4:6  

.  ..  166.214 

3:  16  

201 

4:  11  

329 

3:  17  

330 

5:  12  

154 

3:22.24  ... 

93 

5  :  16  

330 

3:  23  

95 

4:4  

324 

I  PETEB 

4:7.11  

,  328 

1:2  

35 

4:12  

310 

1:  3.  4  

314 

4:17  

212 

1:8  

310 

4:  21  , 

,  95 

1  :  10.  11   

137 

5:2  

93 

1  :  20  

35 

5:3  

95 

1:23   

73 

5  :  10  

191 

2  :  5.  9  

309 

5:  13  

321 

2:9   

.  .  .  171.  200 

5  :  19  

315 

2:13-17   

326 

5:  21  

154 

2:  21  

212 

3:1-7   
3  :  8.  9  

331 
329 

II  JOHN 
-  :  4-5  

95 

4:  8.  9   
5:5  

329 
330 

-:7-ll  

178 
332 

5:7   

177 

5:  12  

55 

JUDK 

II  PETKR 

-:24  

67 

1:4  
2:1  
3:  18  

73 
178 
48.  21  1 

REVELATION 
1:  10  
12:10  

270 
71 

I  JOHN 

13:8  

35 

1:  1  to  2:2  .. 

19 

20:   

122 

1:3  

328 

21:  1  

122 

1:7  

59.  200 

22  :  14  

93 

Invaluable  Books  on  Bible  Truths 


LEWIS  SPERRY  CHAFER 

"SALVATION."     Foreword  by  W.  H.  Griffith-Thomas,  D.D. 
Cloth,  152  pages $1.00 

This  book  has  received  the  highest  press  and  personal  com- 
mendation. It  is  a  clear  analysis  of  God's  saving  grace.  The 
great  doctrines  of  the  cross,  salvation  and  the  eternal  security 
of  the  believer  are  unfolded.  It  is  a  hand  book  for  every 
earnest  Christian. 

"I  use  it  constantly." — Melvin  E.  Trotter. 
"HE  THAT  IS  SPIRITUAL." 

Cloth,    180   pages    $1.00 

It  defines  true  Christian  living  and  unfolds  the  Bible  teach- 
ing concerning  spirituality, — what  it  is,  and  how  it  is  secured. 
Few  books  have  been  more  warmly  received  by  Bible  teachers 
and  students.  Nothing  could  be  more  important  to  Christians, 
and  it  corrects  very  much  false  teaching. 

"I  thank  God  for  this  book." — Paul  Kader. 

"TEUE  EVANGELISM."  Foreword  to  the  first  edition  by  the 
late  Henry  Varley  of  England.  Foreword  to  the  new  and 
revised  edition  by  Rev.  A..  B.  Winchester,  Toronto,  Canaila. 
New  and  enlarged  edition,  Cloth,  160  pages $1.00 

This  book  is  a  thoughtful  message  and  is  revolutionary  in 
the  work  of  soul-winning.  It  is  a  masterful  development  of  the 
whole  divine  program  in  seeking  and  saving  the  lost.  The  au 
thor  does  not  urge  more  zeal  in  old  methods;  he  presents  an 
entirely  different  principle  and  order  of  procedure  from  the 
evangelistic  plans  and  habits  of  to-day.  The  book  is  intensely 
Scriptural,  constructive,  and  suggestive.  All  soul-winners  should 
know  every  page  of  this  book. 

"Best  thing  to  the  square  inch  ever  written." — Boston  Busi- 
ness Man. 

"The  last  and  best  word  on  the  subject." — A  testimony  from 
England. 

"THE   KINGDOM  IN  HISTORY  AND  PBOPHECY."     Fort- 
word  by  C.  I.  Sco field,  D.D. 
Fourth   Edition.     Cloth,    157   pages $100 

The  whole  outline  of  Scripture  teaching  as  to  God's  plan  and 
purpose  in  the  earth.  The  questions,  "What  is  the  kingdom?" 
"What  is  the  Church!"  and  "When  and  how  will  Christ  return?" 
are  answered  from  the  Bible  itself. 

"The  present  drift  of  the  world  and  of  the  church  seems  to 
me  a  tremendous  confirmation  of  the  truth  so  well  set  forth  in 
this  brief  volume." — Rev.  Henry  C.  Mabie,  D.D. 

"SATAN."     Foreword  by  Rev.  C.  I.  Scofield,  D.D. 

New  and  revised  edition,  Cloth,  190  pages $1.00 

An  accepted  standard  of  exposition  on  this  great  subject  both 
in  England  and  America.  Satan's  origin,  sin,  purpose,  method, 
and  end  are  unfolded.  The  book  is  a  final  answer  to  every 
modern  cult.  A  multitude  of  good-meaning  Christians  are  mis- 
led because  they  do  not  know  Satan's  devices.  This  book  has 
been  a  blessing  to  thousands. 

"Superb!  Thoroughly  Biblical  and  exhaustive." — T7.  Irving 
Carroll.  D.D. 


This  Book  may  be  kept 

FOURTEEN 


YHAH8M  3HT 
II.JA')   U) 


